generosity based business | marketingforhippies.com

stop trying to change minds

By: Tad | Published: November 26, 2011 · 2 Comments

I invite you to give up trying to change people’s minds.

People can be a lot like this child – stubborn. They don’t like being pushed around. Or told they’re wrong.

This is the core challenge of marketing I think. Or a core blunder. Or something.

Trying to convince people that we are right and they are wrong.

Trying to convince them that they need to act preventatively.

Trying to convince them that their core world view is wrong.

Trying to convince them that our diagnosis is so important before they even know they have a symptom.

Trying to convince someone to buy NOW when they might rather wait for a more fortuitous timing.

And I want to suggest that . . . that’s really hard.

And it might hurt people.

The idea that we can change people’s minds is the beginning of trouble.

It’s a much better idea to create something that resonates with where people are at. Meet them where they are.

My colleague Jessica O’Reilly shared how she came to this realization with her sex workshops in this blog interview I did with her in July, 2011.

Callan Rush has some important thoughts on this which she shared in this March 2011 blog post. Here’s the relevant excerpt.

LESSON #5: Don’t just market to the 3% who are ready to buy right now.

Think of your ideal clients. The people in your niche. Your target market. Now think of all the people in your town (or wherever you want to tour your workshops) who fit into that group. There are likely a lot of them.

But here’s the bad news.

97% of your ideal clients are NOT looking for my product, program or service right now.

Here’s a piece Callan shared that was worth the whole evening. It’s a percentage break down of your target market right now. I think these percentages are really accurate pretty much across the board:

3% are actively looking for your solution. They’re googling it at 3 am. They are super, actively looking for a solution to their problems. And everyone is fighting over this 3%. Every other workshop leader is trying to reach these same people.

And so they put their marketing out to reach these people.

“Hypnosis workshop!”

“Buy our technology”

“All 2010 Model Cars Must Go! 0% Financing.”

“Non Violent Communication Workshop”

“Learn Reiki”.

And it’s not that this kind of marketing doesn’t work. It totally does. It absolutely reaches and works on that 3% of your ideal clients. But it’s ignored by everyone else. Ouch. This means your marketing might be being totally ignored by 97% of your target market.

7% are open to your product, program or service. They’ve heard about the kind of thing you do. They’re genuinely curious about it.

30% are aware for future. They know they need you or someone like you – but it’s sometime down the road. They tell themselves, “I’ll need a new car when we have kids.” But that time hasn’t come yet. Or they think, “When this crunch time at work is over I’m going to get back into yoga.” Or, “When I stop traveling I’m going to buy a house.”

30% are totally unconscious. When you meet them it’s clear that they have a problem you can help them solve – but they have NO awareness they need it. They might not even know they have a problem. It’s like someone with bad breath. You knooooow they need a tick tack but they have no idea. Or someone with anger issues who’s convinced their problem is everyone else.

They may or may not have any overt symptoms but those symptoms are likely not understood. Like, they know they have stomach pains all the time – but they don’t realize that it’s because they’re celiac. Or they notice that their romantic partner has lost interest in them but they don’t see how this loss of interest was triggered by their domineering nature and inability to communicate.

In short, they lack the proper context for their symptoms. And so often they ignore them entirely.

30% are just a ‘NO!’. They’re just closed to it. Maybe it’s because they live too far away, they’ll never be able to afford it or they’ve already hired someone else. With these people you need to just bless and release.

The Bottom Line: 67% of these people are not really being marketed to. They’re being ignored by everyone else leading workshops.

But the way you market to the 67% who are open, aware or unconscious is very, very different than the way you market to people who are totally ready to buy. It’s a bit of a slower turn around. More trust building. More being a generosity based business to start.

Simon Sinek, in his book Start With Why points out how people gravitate to businesses that resonate with them (rather than being inspired to adopt a new lifestyle that company is selling).

Apple sells a “lifestyle”, marketing professionals will tell you.

Apple didn’t invent the lifestyle, nor does it sell a lifestyle. Apple is simply one of the brands that those who live a certain lifestyle are drawn to. Those people use certain products or brands in the course of living in that lifestyle. That is, in part, how we recognize their way of life in the first place. The products they choose become proof of why they do the things they do. It is only because Apple’s why is so clear that those who believe what they believe are drawn to them. As Harley Davidson fits into the lifestyle of a certain group of people and Prada shoes fit the lifestyle of a certain group, it is the lifestyle that came first. Like the products the company produces that serve as proof of the company’s WHY, so too does a brand or product serve as proof of an individual’s WHY.

That some people are viscerally drawn to a ferrari more than a Honda Odyssey says more about the person than the engineering of the product.

Loyalists for each brand will point to various features and beenfits that matter to them or don’t matter to them in an attempt to convince the other that they are right. And that’s one of the primary reasons why so many companies feel the needs to differentiate in the first place. Based on the flawed assumption that only one group can be right. But what if both parties were right? What if an Apple was right for some people and a PC was right for others? It’s not a debate about better or worse anymore, it’s a discussion about the different needs. And before the discussion can even happen, the WHYs for each must be established first.

A simple claim of better, even with the rational evidence to back it up, can create a desire and even motivate a decision to buy, but it doesn’t create loyalty. It is the cause that is represented by the company, brand, product or person that inspires loyalty.

Seth Godin deepens this conversation is his book Tribes:

A Tribe has a Shared Worldview:

This leads to an interesting thought: you get to choose the tribe you will lead. Through your actions as a leader you attract a tribe that wants to follow you. That tribe has a worldview that matches the message you are sending.

Important clarification: Great marketers lead people, stretching the boundaries and bringing new messages to people who want to hear them. The core of my argument is that someone’s worldview, how they feel about risk or other factors, is beyond your ability to change in the short run. Sell people something they’re interesting in buying. If you can’t leverage the worldview they already have, you are essentially invisible. Which is a whole other sort of magic, one that’s not so profitable.

If you are leading a tribe focused on saving the world by fighting global warming, the tribe will of course have a worldview that includes the idea that global warming is a problem and that it includes the idea that global warming is a problem and that it can be addressed through its actions. They come to the tribe with that in mind and your leadership resonates with them.

If, on the other hand, you choose to work to persuade a different group, one with a very different worldview, they will likely reject you. Al Gore started leading his tribe when he didn’t know who they were.

He stated his message and people found him.

Ultimately, people are most easily led where they wanted to go all along. While that may seem as if it limits your originality or influence, it’s true. Fox News didn’t persuade millions of people to become conservatives, they just assembled a tribe and led them where they were already headed.

Tribes are increasingly voluntary. No one is forced to work for your firm or attend your services. People have a choice of which music to listen to and which movies to watch. So great leaders don’t try to please everyone. Great leaders don’t water down their message in order to make the tribe a bit bigger. Instead they realize that a motivated, connected tribe in the mist of a movement is far more powerful than a larger group could ever be.

As the ability to lead a tribe becomes open to more people, it’s interesting to note that those who take that opportunity (and those who succeed most often) are doing it because of what they can do for the tribe, not for what the tribe can do for them.

This is the heart of the matter: Every leader cares for and supports a movement. A movement like the free speech movement at Berkeley or the democracy movement in Tiananmen Square or the civil rights movement in Mississippi. Or maybe a movement like the obsession with hand roasted coffee in Brooklyn or the worldwide collection of people obsessed with tattoos.

Today, you can have a narrow movement, a tiny movement, a movement in a silo. Your movement can be known by ten or twenty or a thousand people, people in your community or people around the world. And most often, it can be the people you work with or for, or those who work for you.

The web connects people. That’s what it does. And movements take connected people and make change. What marketers and organizers and people who care are discovering is that they can ignite a micromovement and then be propelled by the people who choose to follow it.

The bottom line is this: don’t try to change people’s minds. Get so clear about your deeper why, the journey you help people on best and your point of view and find people who will resonate with that. Don’t try to get people to change their minds about things. Meet them where they are and begin to slowly educate. Find some real challenge they are aware of that they’re experiencing and offer them help with that. Earn the trust. Align and then redirect – don’t oppose.

Instead of trying to push harder and hype it up more – just make it clearer who you are and safer for people to approach you. Be the lighthouse, not the searchlight.

If you’d like get cool posts like this in your inbox every few days CLICK HERE to subscribe to my blog and you’ll also get a free copy of my fancy new ebook “Marketing for Hippies” when it’s done.

| Categories: becoming a hub, marketing philosophy, platform, Start with Why - Tags: authenticity, becoming a hub, building trust, empathy, generosity based business, pink spoons, pressure free, relevance

guest blog: How to Market without Becoming the Houseguest from Hell

By: Tad | Published: October 3, 2011 · 2 Comments

How to Market without Becoming the Houseguest from Hell
by Lynn Serafinn

Adapted from the chapter “Grace #3: Invitation” from the book The 7 Graces of Marketing

In Chapter 3 of The 7 Graces of Marketing, I talk all about the lost art of ‘Invitation’ and how we marketers and business owners could learn a lot by looking at what we all know as part of ‘common sense’ when it comes to daily life, but we seem to forget when it comes to marketing.

In that chapter, I tell two stories: one about what makes a great ‘host’, and one about what makes a ‘houseguest from hell’. The story of the great host was about a man named Abdulla I knew back in the 1980s, who treated me like gold when I dropped by their house unannounced, unaware he and his extended family were right in the middle of a family party. The hospitality, respect and engagement they showed me was so special, I remember it to this day as an example of people who really know what it means to be a gracious host.

The story of the ‘houseguest from hell’ (which I think is a pretty funny story when I read it back) is about a roaming ‘monk’ I call ‘Sam’ who we invited to stay at our home as his car had broke down, but instead of getting his car fixed, he ended up staying for months, eating us out of house and home and offering nothing in return. I was trying to be a gracious host, but my ‘guest’ lacked the knowledge of what it means to be a gracious guest.

We can learn a lot from these stories of Abdulla and Sam. When we are marketing our books or businesses (especially over the Internet!), it is important to think about whether we are playing the role of the ‘host’ or the ‘guest’. When we build this awareness, it can transform the way we communicate with our audience significantly.

Hospitality, Respect and Engagement

When someone lands our website, walks into our shop or comes into our ‘space’ in any way, it is the equivalent of them being our guests within our home. While we cannot physically offer our Internet visitors the water, food, a comfy chair and cosy conversation during their stay, we can, however, offer them the virtual equivalent. All these components of hospitality make guests within our homes feel comfortable, relaxed and satiated. When a guest feels like this, they are happy to stay in our company, and when they do leave to go home, they carry with them the memory of how you made them feel.

In much the same way, when someone comes to our website, our aim should be to show them our hospitality. We should make them feel comfortable, relaxed and fully satisfied. If someone has come to your website, they are hungry—for information, for a solution to a need, for advice, for assurance, for fun—for something.

Just as the best hosts will feed their guests with delicious food, the best sale pages are those that feed your visitors’ hunger for information. If the site is for a piece of software, give your visitors lots of videos showing them exactly how it works. If it’s for an event or a course, give them a taster and a concrete breakdown of what they’ll gain. What we shouldn’t do is use lofty, overblown or ambiguous language telling our customers if they buy our product we’ll tell them secrets no one else knows, or they will gain something they cannot gain any other way. Imagine coming into someone’s home and being told such things by your host.

You’d think you’d stepped right into the parlour of Mr Spider.

Nonetheless, this is the kind of marketing messages we are subjected to every day, both on the Internet and on television. When we taunt customers with hype, distractions, ambiguity or delayed promises, we make them feel anxious, confused and eventually mistrustful. What is ironic, of course, is that all this lack of hospitality makes people less likely to buy from you at all, even if your product is the very thing that would answer their needs.

If people become mistrustful of us, it is more than likely because we are not showing them the respect they deserve. There are an awful lot of Internet marketers who make a formulaic show of their trustworthiness by integrating customer testimonials and money-back guarantees into their sales pages. But neither of these strategies is effective if a sales page shows little respect for the customer. Besides, most consumers nowadays are pretty savvy. They know testimonials could be faked and promises of money back guarantees could be just words.

And if someone comes to a website and gets that impression, it’s more than likely because the marketing is not demonstrating respect for the customer’s intelligence, values, health, happiness and freedom of choice. If marketers focus solely on conversion in creating marketing pieces, this will be the result. Respect can only be present when marketers remember it is a privilege for people to give you their time and attention and to consider using your products or services.

The actual exchange of currency is the not the result of a sales page. It is the result of a relationship between customer and merchant—between guest and host. Customers are the guests who knock on our door and we business owners, as their hosts, must create the quality of that relationship.

And finally, no relationship can be built without engagement. Old school marketing was always a one-way street with no engagement between marketer and consumer whatsoever. The consumer simply absorbed the programming and was expected to buy. But as the world has changed, and it continuing to change, lack of engagement or interaction will probably turn out to be the fastest track to business failure in the coming generation.

Just as when we visited Abdulla’s home and his entire family engaged with us, to survive in the modern business world, marketers must be engaging. They must listen and respond to their customers demonstrating genuine (not feigned) interest in them. We must make them feel valued, and invite their input and their ideas. We must convey to them that they are a valuable part of our ‘circle’, our tribe, and that their voice is being heard in how we do business.

When all three of these components—hospitality, respect and engagement—are genuinely and authentically present in our marketing, we have a foundation for the Grace of Invitation to flourish.

When Marketers Become Takers

Now, on the flip side, the story of Sam has useful lessons for us when we are a GUEST in our marketers. Let’s first look at online marketing. When someone comes to our website and signs up to our mailing list, they are no longer our guests as in Abdulla’s story—we have now become their guests and are in their space. When a consumer supplies us with their email address, that person is, in effect, opening their door to us and saying, ‘Yes, you can come in and stay here,’ just as our family had opened our door to Sam. Unlike when they are coming into our space, we are now in their space.

And just as there is a moral code for hosts, there is also one for guests. However, I see few online marketers acting as if they truly understand this. While most of us would never dream of treating a host the way Sam did, when it comes to marketing, we feel justified in coming into people’s homes, either through their Inbox or the media, and bleeding them dry with relentless advertising.

When marketers operate on the assumption that it takes repeated exposure for subscribers or viewers to become customers, they find it necessary to saturate the consumers’ consciousness with their message, without giving them much of anything in return. This is not really very different from Sam taking advantage of our hospitality without offering any compensation for all he consumed at our expense.

Marketers simply must start realising that coming into people’s homes is a privilege, and we cannot ever allow ourselves to become the proverbial houseguests from hell.

The Importance of the Grace of Invitation

The art of ‘Invitation’ is a true ‘Grace’ because it expresses our ‘graciousness’. Graciousness is a quality we admire in individuals, but how often do we think of it as a criterion for our professional practice? Admittedly, this shift from Invasion to Invitation is going to be one of the most challenging for marketers to make.

We need to communicate with our customers, but because there is simply so much ‘noise’ out there, we have adopted the belief that if we are the loudest and most aggressive, people will hear us above the din. But this is simply not true. Invasion simply creates more Invasion. The more we inundate our customers with noise, the louder others will become. And the faster and less caring we are in our communications, the faster and less caring our customers will be when they click ‘delete’ on our email or flick the channel with their remote control.

We are all people, first and foremost. We want to connect. We need each other. We want to be able to knock on each other’s door and feel welcome. We want to be invited in for a nice cup of tea. We want to have the kind of relationships where we can knock on someone’s door unannounced and be welcome. We also want the kind of relationships where friends do not exploit each other’s good nature, and we treat each other with respect and gratitude.

If these are common values amongst us in our social life, surely we cannot forsake them in marketing. How incredibly could the world change if we simply reintroduced the divine responsibility between host and guest, and applied this in all our business dealings?

If Invasion creates more Invasion, surely Invitation creates more Invitation. Begin today by being aware of whether you are the host or the guest, and very soon you will start to see your marketing has become a completely different form of communication.

Lynn Serafinn is bestselling author, marketer, coach, speaker, radio host and promotional manager for a long list of #1 selling mind-body-spirit authors. In her work, she has witnessed both the conscious and unconscious mechanics of marketing that threaten our society and our very planet. In her book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell (Humanity 1 Press, Dec 2011), she reveals how modern marketing has played a hand in the the rise of consumer culture, negatively impacting our health, happiness, economy and natural world in an unparalleled way, and offers us hope via a new paradigm she calls “The 7 Graces of Marketing.” Subscribe to this blog to keep on top of how you can help change the world through 7 Graces thinking. Author, marketing and radio show enquiries, please send via http://spiritauthors.com/contact.

| Categories: marketing philosophy - Tags: authenticity, building trust, generosity based business, pressure free

the client love connection

By: Tad | Published: September 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I was just interviewed via video by Rebecca Cowan (pictured here) for her new program The Client Love Connection.

We had such a lovely conversation. I made some pretty impressive drawing on my white board for her. We seemed to resonate a lot on our concerns about the marketing world. So I asked her to write me a blog post about her experiences in the marketing world.

I bet you can relate to it.

I remember when I first wanted to be in business for myself, my boyfriend at the time had called me a capitalist and broke up with me over it!

He thought, like lots of people, that business is bad and the evil corporations are ruining the world. It’s actually a pretty common stigma. And with some of the business strategies I learned when I started my first business as a very “woo-woo” hypnotherapist, I don’t blame them!

For me, it wasn’t about world domination or making so much money that I could buy my own country. I wanted to heal people! I had the goal to make the world happier by making people healthier.

Noble cause, right?

But the part that was hardest was the marketing and the business strategies I was told I had to use to be successful.

I wanted to hide away most days when I thought about the kinds of things I had to do to promote my business. I thought there must be something wrong with me that I didn’t want to use them.

I had learned how to have sales conversations, how to sell from stage, and lots and lots of internet marketing strategies: creating products, writing sales letters, using Facebook and Twitter to fill my events.

Even though I had all this knowledge, I didn’t like who I had to be to use it.

Most of the marketing I had learned was based on…

    •   Competition!

    •   Pushing or bullying other people into buying your products or services by keeping up the appearance of an authority or perfection.

   •   Using a “magic” set of words or a formula for marketing that feels like you’ve just tricked them into being your client.

   •   Preying on human psychological needs for acceptance or love and extorting that need for profit.

   •   Drawing in clients with big promises, whether you can fulfill them or not or puffing up your “perceived value” to seem more attractive.

   •   Attracting lots of clients whether they are right for your business or not.

   •   Being someone you’re not…

And the strange part was that I was taught lots of my business methods from other spiritual, heart-based entrepreneurs! The old models of marketing are still thick even amongst well-meaning

When I changed my business and found an alignment with teaching entrepreneurs about making marketing videos, I discovered that I didn’t want to teach my clients the same marketing tactics that I’d learned. I wanted them nowhere near my business!

I wanted to teach my clients how to connect with potential clients through video and give them permission to express their true selves on film and actually do more business because of it! I wanted my clients to feel safe doing business and find those perfect clients that were waiting for them.

I feel that there is a lot of healing that can be done in business. So when I decided to create The Client Love Connection Online Marketing Experience I wanted to gather other entrepreneurs who were teaching marketing in a new way.

I sought out marketing experts that were teaching collaboration, honesty, freedom of expression, and client attraction in a way that would make entrepreneurs embrace marketing. I want to allow client and entrepreneur to connect on a human level and make the decision to work together because it’s the right match, not because you’ve used a marketing trick that you didn’t like using in the first place.

Our businesses all have a light filled message and purpose for the world. Your marketing should reflect that as well. If marketing hasn’t felt very good and you’ve found yourself avoiding it, that’s fine! It’s normal. It’s time that marketing fit your business instead of changing yourself to fit marketing that you don’t like in the first place

The Client Love Connection Online Marketing Experience is an online VIDEO summit of 18 interviews with the experts in client attraction and connection. This event will change how you feel about marketing and bring you new tools for growing your business that feel like the natural fit for the good-hearted person that you are.

If this message has hit home with you, then I hope you can join us and I really look forward to connecting with you.

Love,
Rebecca Cowan
Client Love Connection Creator
And Marketing Video Master

If you’d like get cool posts like this in your inbox every few days CLICK HERE to subscribe to my blog and you’ll also get a free copy of my fancy new ebook “Marketing for Hippies” when it’s done.

| Categories: Ethics in Advertising, holistic practitioners, marketing philosophy - Tags: authenticity, building trust, generosity based business, pressure free

case study: toronto’s inner garden

By: Tad | Published: August 16, 2011 · 2 Comments

Ever wanted to create your own holistic hub or event center for cool things?

My pal Rob Helmer (pictured here with his daughter) did it in Toronto with his Inner Garden space and shares his lessons, thoughts and success secrets here.

What is the inner garden?

Basically, it’s a beautiful space in the heart of downtown Toronto that we rent out for events. Our goal is to co-create space for an intriguing array of events & gatherings. We provide teachers, healers musicians, performers and facilitators the opportunity to connect & share with the local community in an inspiring venue.

Can you describe your space for those who haven’t seen it?

Put simply, the event space has an earthy-zen look to it, the real hard word floors, natural tree-stump seating and greenery make the ambiance warm and inviting.

The physical appearance reflects the lush and abundant gardens that are stylistic of the West and the simple elegance of gardens from the east. This merging of east and west has created a site for people to find rest and relaxation, where they can embrace Being fully, and also be stimulated and nourished.

The space is blessed with natural light filtering in during the day, through a large skylight in the central space and large windows in every room. For evening events, our lighting we have installed allows the user to create the ambiance they desire at night.

Did I mention we have tree stumps?

What’s the story of how this started? How did you get to be doing this?

In short, like all great things in life i did not plan it this way i just fell into it.

But you were doing Chinese medicine before. How does one go from being a Chinese medical practitioner to an event space organizer?

I have been involved in TCM for over 12 years. I originally moved into the space a year ago wanting to open the first school dedicated specifically dedicated to Chinese herbal medicine outside of China. The teachers (some of the best in the world were in place) and cur

riculum were in place but I could not find private funding to support the project and with recent professional regulations being passed in Ontario I decided to delay the project (and now with the event space consuming most of my time I have let go of this idea altogether).

My business model (at that time) included three aspects a herbal medicine school, an event space and clinical space (with free student clinics for the general public). My idea was to have the school be the hub for the other two. Fifteen months later, the events space is front and central and the further I remove myself from TCM the better things seem to flow for me financially. I feel this new venture helps me “fit my life into my job instead of my job into my life” (thanks for this Alex Baisley). Most importantly, it allows me greater freedom to spend more time with my daughter and others I I hold close to my heart.

In some ways, it was difficult for me to let go of practicing Chinese medicine full-time, similar to a bad relationship that is providing a person with some good elements but is not nourishing them and sustaining them on all levels. TCM (treating patients, writing, teaching etc.) was my main (i.e. only) source of income for a dozen years so the biggest thing I needed to let go of was the financial security this provided me (or at least that is what my mind was telling me). However, in the end I feel I was meant to leave TCM as my energy and passion for it diminished in the last year so did my income.

I really only made a commitment to running the event space as more of a full-time gig in October 2010 when we launched the new website and renamed the space.

This coincided with spending time with Alex Baisley and yourself last fall which was very useful and reminded me of some things I had forgotten previously that had worked for me in the past and and this time also helped me gain a clearer vision of what I would like to do moving forward. Some people (patients, students or interns of mine in the past, colleagues, my parents) that have found out are a little perplexed by the shift but this is the direction life is taking me.

And what was the need or opportunity you saw in the community that had you decide to do this?

I saw the limitations of medicine (both modern medicine and alternative medicine). I wanted to offer events in the space that would help people heal and ease their suffering, i.e. satsang, healing music, or events that focused on going beyond the mind and ego were the first events to take place in the space and a year later these events remain the cornerstone of what we offer.

What kinds of events have you run?

The space is really a blank canvas or playground for people to explore and make their dreams reality. The event space has only been available for one year and just about everything has taken place here from day long silent retreats to concerts with dancing or yoga with live music, from networking events for social entrepreneurs, fundraising events to singer-songwriter nights to Playback theatre and opera. One of the most exciting things is there is always new things happening in the space.

In general we are proud to honour the many paths that are available to us as humans on this journey and my experience has been over the last year is it is more important who is running the event than what they are offering.

On the horizon we will be offering documentary film nights and storytelling evenings on a regular basis.

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Which events have been most popular?

I don’t know if I see it that way. I think every event serves its purpose. Events range from a handful of people gathering to over a hundred people. It is hard to judge what is popular – in general i find people want to feel oneness or connected with others so the tendency in the last several months is the space is attracting people that are looking for a sacred or intimate place to build community whether that is through a group of singer/song writers, satsang, those interested in food security, healing music or something else.

How much do you charge people to rent the space?

Event prices range with many events being accessible to anyone wanting to attend (as many people offer events on a suggested donation basis)

$90 a night or $150 for a day are the suggested donation for use of the space

You seem to give a lot away – letting people rent for free sometimes – what’s your perspective on that?

In the first 6-9 months of running the space we let people use the space for free.

I wish we could give more away. In time when the space sustains itself more we will be able to give back more to the local community. In the meantime we do the best we can.

The space only exists due to the generosity of others and to be honest really has nothing to do with me (I am just fortunate to be a witness of the transformation). The personal transformation I have went through from witnessing the generosity and love and support from the local community for this space cannot be described in words (but it can be felt if you spend enough time in the space). On a personal level I had nothing a year ago ( although it is not relevant I was at the bottom of the barrel financially as I had claimed bankruptcy about six months prior to moving into the space = no money and could not borrow any money from a financial institution) and The Inner Garden grew out of this darkness and nothingness similar to a water lily growing out out of a muddy pond.

I did not ask people for favors or discounted services when renovating and creating the space (although several people did step forward to loan me money). I just handpicked the people whose professional ability I respected and valued not worried about cost and they all felt the nature of what we were trying to do and everyone went above and beyond what was expected.

Quite magical really!

I am blessed to be surrounded by people in my life that demonstrate to me how to give without expecting anything in return. Being in service to humanity and giving from your heart are probably the most important qualities that we try to bring into the space.

Personal note – if you remember our relationship began by me calling you up and offering you the space for free (after hearing about you from several people I loved and respected). Of course, you did pay me for use for the space but I did not expect anything in return. From working together our relationship blossomed and through you I met so many amazing people and from a financial perspective made thousands of dollars.

The great thing is when you give without expecting anything in return you become a magnet for people that do the same thing.

So you’re saying when you give so generously – that you tend to attract others who are willing to give generously – and that this might take the form of them wanting to pay you even when you’ve not asked for anything? I’m curious what other forms this generosity has shown up in.

I don’t usually discuss things but if it can be an example to empower other entrepreneurs to build their businesses and success through love, compassion and tolerance than I am willing to share a few examples.

One example, is we have offered several potlucks for lazy people for those in our building (which is one of the coolest buildings in the city – www.richmond.net) where we offered the use of the space for free and bought food and drink for sixty people. This was a great success and really appreciated by those who attended and now together with a few businesses in the building we have set up a C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture) for the building. In other words, we are helping a local farmer sell directly to people in our building. These types of events are focused on building community without expecting anything in return.
This type of offering is difficult for people to comprehend at first because based on past experience they are looking for the catch but there isn’t one.

I do not worry about them paying ever. I just follow my heart and give what I can. I know i will be provided what I need in this life.
The forms of generosity are abundant. Another recent example, a person I lent the space to on a donation basis about ten times over the last year has recently purchased a professional sound system for the space which was a much needed asset for the space.

I also regularly invite people to attend events at the space for free as my guests. I usually do this to help increase awareness of the great things happening at the space + it allows me to connect with those attending the events at the space and get to know them better + it gives me a way to thank people for supporting past events in the space by allowing them to come for free.

Creating community – some events are used to build community and not make money – this is great because people relax and let down their barriers. I never want people to feel like they are being sold something in the space

What do you think happens when people feel like they’re being ‘sold‘ something?

They don’t let their guard down and you cannot truly connect with them. Doesn’t make me feel good to connect on this level. It also does not make me feel good when people are only promoting their own work and not helping others.

Right. I have the same thing with my pay what you can workshop. People are like, ‘what’s the deal? Where’s the catch? When’s the big pitch going to come?’ and it never does. And then people are just delighted. When they finally realize that it’s just my offering to the community . . . It’s such a beautiful thing. I have people coming up to me at the end of weekends with tears in their eyes sometimes because they’re so grateful and amazed at what was created over the weekend. I love it.

You are real. This is what I love about you. In my opinion, you are very authentic. Many people try to do what you do but for them it is a marketing strategy which for me can be easy to identify and I think on some level this can be sensed by most people. I have felt this way about several projects that initially started using the space or wanted to use the space and I decided to distance myself from them and suggest they use a different space.

Do you feel like most people try to push the relationship too far too fast? Or try to formalize it before it’s ready? Or push it in a box?

This can happen. I don’t usually resonate with people that do this and I assume they do not resonate with me either. I compare it to dating and relationships and the various levels relationships may take

1) friends

2) dating

3) committed realtionship

4) intimacy (of course this can happen earlier in this process )

5) marriage

6) kids

Etc.

So some people you meet you are feeling like you are just on the first level and they want to jump to #5 after five minutes of conversation or because they know someone you know. You must get this a lot- someone hears about you – thinks this dude knows a lot of people – next they contact you and want you to be their pimp or best friend, lover , husband, father to their child and you are thinking who the f$%* is this person, maybe i should check their criminal record or at least their credit rating. Are you following my madness?

I did this a couple times trying to be helpful and support people but discovered it was not wise.

It is so, so, so important who you co-associate with. Being friends with someone is different then promoting their work or putting your name on the line for them.

Was it hard in the beginning – when you were so broke to be so generous?

No. I was glad i was able to give back to the communities that had nourished me and supported me during my most difficult times

Offering the space for free for the first six months and co-creating with the right people who promote the space were both essential to help us grow in the beginning.

Allowing people to come to you and let relationships organically grow is also important if you want to be a hub for events.

What’s the response been so far?

Wonderful. We are almost at the point where the space can start to sustain itself in less than a year.

How are you marketing this? What’s been most effective?

As you can see from our website we don’t market the event space directly we just advertise the events that occur at the space on our website and facebook.

The space and the experience of being in the space sells itself. Most people who approach us about renting have previously attended an event at the space themselves.

Personally, if there is a type of event that I would like to personally have happening at the space I try to connect with Hubs in that community and invite them for tea. That is my main advertising. I basically sit with people and chat to discuss their hopes and dreams (and sometimes The Inner Garden can support them in making their dreams reality). I meet with anyone really i.e. I meet with those interested in meeting and connecting not just people that want to rent space.

But you do have an email newsletter which you send out yes? How many people are on that list at this point?

Yes, the newsletter is for the events not the rentals though (although having a nice newsletter attracts customers). Rachelle is the creative mastermind at The Inner Garden that takes care of everything that we require to promote the space and events. Our long-term plan is to have a monthly newsletter + weekly updates that feature (a specific event) each week.

Not sure how many people (approx. 500) are on our list but we do have people requesting to be on the list each week (maybe 5 people a week) through our website.

One idea (long-term) was to offer to include people on our website and newsletter for free in exchange for circulating our newsletter to their contact list. This would not be policed but just done on a honor system. I trust that this would help build their reputation with their own contact list by showing their contacts the great space they are using and what other great people are using the community space that they are using.

This helps us build a community and bypasses me trying to collect emails at someone else’s event (which is awkward). For instance, if 12 groups use the space each month and they each have 500 people in their list each person’s event gets to 6000 people instead of 500. This goes further if 40 groups use the space over the course of the year now your newsletter is going to 20000 people. We are currently offering the links and newsletter for free now but to become sustainable long-term we may have to do something.

If someone wanted to do a similar thing what would you say are the biggest mistakes to avoid?

Have people pay in advance in full. People who cannot commit ahead of time will probably not be successful and will be more likely to drop out on you. This happened several times and cost me ++ money

Be mindful of how much time you spend promoting events. Sometimes it is important to cut your losses (and admit your mistakes). Communicate clearly.

What are the things you think people could mis-communicate on doing the kind of thing you do?

Lack of clarity on boundaries and expectations. From when money is due to what hours they are able to use the space from to what is and is not allowed in the space

Most people i co-associate are just super grateful so i don’t really have any problems. Above was just mostly growing pains

I’d also say follow your gut instinct of what you should have in the space or who you should get involved with and most importantly it is more important to have quality events then it is to have quantity of events

Can you share a story of a time you didn’t trust your gut and what happened?

Last year I had an artist whose art I agreed to display.

In my opinion, I did a huge favor for someone else that uses one of the offices in the space. My gut said no, no no but i tried to be nice and I needed the money. The artist ended up damaging the place (costing me a lot of personal hours to fix up the place), and then yelling and swearing at me etc. So i returned his $300 without being asked and moved on. I considered it taxing myself for not following my gut. The great thing was he was transformed in this process.

He was transformed from a person that was very angry and felt like he was taken advantage of to a person who now smiles at me in the hallway and talks to me. So instead of having someone spreading false rumors about the space and me he came to me insisting on returning the money and appologized for his actions.

What do you think are the most important things to making this kind of thing work?

The most important is a clear vision of what you would like to do.

What does this mean to you and why is it important. Most people would say they have a clear vision. What’s the cost of not having this clear?

If you are not clear you will attract people and situations that you do not want to wish to have in your life.

And then it’s all about love and support from those close to you, and a willingness to change your direction if things are not working out.

I’m curious where you’ve had to change your direction with this.

The whole direction of the space changed (see above) from a school to an event space. Also i think you need to be open to how others want to use the space not just your own ideas (but at the same time following your gut and having a clear vision which can be a fine line at times).

For more info just visit the Inner Garden website.

| Categories: becoming a hub, Case Studies of Inspiring Business - Tags: authenticity, becoming a hub, building trust, generosity based business

51 examples of content for blogs, social media and newsletters

By: Tad | Published: August 2, 2011 · Leave a Comment

When I do my workshops, I often get people to brainstorm the types of content they might use to stay in touch with the people on their lists. And people come up with great ones.

So, here’s the harvest from my past few workshops. I hope it inspires you with ideas. Notice how many of them express a really clear point of view and how the ones that focus on a particular niche are particularly cool and useful.

If you’re feeling stuck on what kinds of content you could create read the below and then go and answer these questions. I promise content ideas galore.

Enjoy!

Mortgage Broker:

- monthly interviews with realtors, home inspectors, lawyers, title insurance brokers about the marketplace and their expertise in buying a new home.
- niehgbourhood spotlight: putting together a package of coupons for that area, doing a walking tour of the area for folks interested, introduce them to local businesses

Massage for Cancer Patients:
- interviews with cancer survivors who’ve had massage and valued it
- interviews with doctors and nurses who are open to massage
- directly addressing myths: cancer can’t be spread through massage

Childbirth:
- movie screenings of birth related movies
- youtube videos of people interviewed
- website reviews
- articles you’ve already written
- top ten things you DON’T need that people tell you you need when having a baby

Blaire Finney:
- top ten tips for supporting a family member who’s been hospitalized in a psych ward
- nutrient dense foods for addicts (that are easy to absorb)
- top five complimentary modalities for addicts

Midwife:
- How to set up a birth pool.

For: office workers
- top five strategies to deal with that person in your office who drains your energy
- ten yoga poses you can do at your desk
- top ten meditative songs to have in your ipod at work

For: parents
- tips for parenting kids at different stages

Energy Workers:
- showing the science behind the woo woo. sharing the studies and results.

For: divorced parents
- how to do homework in two homes
- 5 things your kids are saying about you at school

For: LGBT women in Toronto suffering from anxiety or depression caused by issues around discovering their sexuality and coming out.
- how to get through the holidays
- coming out stories
- the top ten ways to come out to your family and friends
- top ten WORST ways to come out to family and friend (funny)
- top ten ways to come out at work or school
- top ten ways to pick up a chick

For: women with breast cancer looking for alternatives
- how to handle your doctor and get the experience you want and need out of your appointments

For: menopausal women.
- video of older women doing cool stuff (e.g. grannies skydiving or mountain climbing)

For: women suffering from headaches
- top five foods to lighten your toxin load

For: professionals
- top ten questions to help you decide whether you need a career change
- top ten career books

For: those who’ve been traumatized by sexual abuse
- how to protect your child from abuse

For: pet owners whose pets have behavioural issues
- info on upcoming expos and shows focused on behavioural issues

For: smokers who are trying to quit
- 10 minutes of yoga to combat nicotine craving
- list of physiological changes that occur after quitting smoking (broken down chronologically over a year)

For: cancer patients who are choosing alternative treatment options
- book reviews on anti-cancer and The China Study
- list of how homeopathy can help with specific side effects of chemo

For: people with digestive issues
- how to organize your kitchen and recipes for simplicity in cooking

For: parents with children with Autism and ADHD
- answers to top question faced by faced by families with autistic children and strategies on how to deal with them
- current research and study
- videos for common treatments that seem daunting until you see them in action or try them yourself

For: socially awkward young adults.
- tips on how to use improv lessons to improve your life

For: people who are overwhelmed and stressed and craving silence in their lives
- articles on the benefits of silence
- artwork and poetry that evolved out of silence

For: sensitive and powerful men
- “The Man Box” – lies and myths about men
- VIDEO: “Real Moments of Power” – real men sharing a moment where they were powerful that weren’t hurting anyone. 2 minutes each.
- VIDEO SERIES: “Instant Warrior Practice” – practical exercises for vitality, focus and confidence.

For: People with life threatening cancer
- top five ways to look after yourself when you’re struggling with feelings around your cancer

For: Health conscious pet owners with animals that have chronic problems
- biggest feeding mistakes
- why pets need detox too

Do you have any cool examples of content that you’ve seen or created that you want to share? Just write them below.

| Categories: becoming a hub, Branding, newsletters - Tags: becoming a hub, blogs, building trust, generosity based business, online marketing, pressure free, safety, social media

marketing lessons from a sex workshop

By: Tad | Published: July 18, 2011 · 1 Comment

Soooo . . . I went to a sex workshop recently.

My colleague Jessica O’Reilly (pictured here) was in town from Toronto (where I do a lot of work) leading a workshop. She’d come to my event when I was in Toronto and I’d never seen her work so she invited me on down.

The workshop was brilliant but it also lifted up a big time marketing lesson that I know a lot of people struggle with: do you sell them what they want or what you think they need?

You want to help people. People who are stuck. And you’ve probably got a really clear point of view about why they’re so stuck. So you want to get at the root of the problem. So you offer up a product or service that really strikes at the root.

And then no one buys it.

An interview with Jessica follows. We explore themes of the irresistible offer and an unexpected take on being generous in marketing.

what is a sexologist?

A sexologist studies the cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects of sexuality and many sexologists work in education, research and clinical practice.

when did you start running workshops?

I’ve been running sexological workshops for four years on a number of topics ranging from HIV/AIDS to sexual pleasure techniques.

when we spoke you mentioned that your workshops seemed to fill faster than other workshops on Tantra. they’re both about sex but yours seem to attract more attention. why is that?

That’s true.

I’ve coordinated technique-based workshops as well as Tantra workshops and the former are far more popular.

It seems that more people are interested in the immediate take-home approach with regard to improving their sex life as opposed to long-term or broader scope topics which require more work and follow-through.

That’s not to say that there isn’t interest in Tantra or longer-term learning, but in my experience, there are more people interested in “quick fix” approaches to improving their sex lives. And that’s okay, because sometimes just attending a short workshop can help people to broaden their horizons and generate a meaningful dialogue about sex, communication and intimacy.

what are the titles of your workshops, how did you come up with them and how important do you think titles are?

I have a huge list of workshops (http://www.jessicaoreilly.com/m3.php — fun ones are at the bottom of the page) and I came up with the titles on my own. Titles are extremely important and I think I could actually use some help to make them a bit catchier — but I definitely want to ensure that the title accurately reflects the content, so that people know what they’re signing up for.

you’ve got these workshops called “Blow His Mind” and “Blow Her Mind”. I love those as titles. They short. Snappy. Sassy. But they also speak to the result you’re offering. were those the first titles you came up with?

Yes. They’re the first titles I came up with — I think sometimes your first instinct is the one to go with.

and what’s your understanding of why people come to a sex workshop? what are they REALLY wanting from it? Obviously to become better and more skilled lovers – but why? what’s in it for them do you think? and is it different between men and women why they come?

Yes.

People come to my workshops because they want to be better in bed — for themselves and for their partners. They also want to boost their self-esteem. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I’ve learned a lot over the years and I remind clients that I can help them fill up their sexual tool box and then they can pick and choose according to their mood and their partners’ interests.

Both men and women want to learn specific techniques, but I do find there are more women interested in learning about their own bodies and their own sexual response. And overall, women seem to be more open to learning about sexual technique — at least in a group setting.

we spoke about how selling quick fix techniques vs. deeper solutions. what’s your take on this?

As a sexologist and as an entrepreneur, it’s my job to meet people where they are. What I believe as a professional is often less important than what a client believes — ultimately a client is the ultimate expert in his/herself.

So, even if I think that a workshop on communication skills would be of greatest benefit to a client’s sex life, if that person would rather learn some basic touching techniques, they’re likely going to benefit more from the latter since the buy-in is stronger. And when you give people what they want (as opposed to what you think will work), you’re building relationships and trust — in many cases, they’ll come back for more and be more receptive to your professional recommendations.

so you’re saying if you offer them what they WANT upfront (often based on the symptoms they’re experiencing and their sense of why they are experiencing them) then it’s easier to offer them what they need?

Tad here . . . Let me go smaller for a moment . . . this makes a lot of sense to me. if people think, ‘my sex life isn’t good because i’m lacking techniques’ – that’s a certain point of view. it’s their belief about why they’re struggling. and what i’m hearing here is that it’s better and easier (and maybe more loving) in the beginning to agree with this and give them that so you can build up the trust and credibility and even offer them a different world view that might be more accurate. but if you don’t get them in the door at all then there’s no chance to build trust at all. i wonder if too much marketing is trying to change people’s point of view (which is incredibly hard).

it has me think that a really important question in marketing is: ‘why do people you’re trying to reach THINK they have the problem they have?’ and then, ‘what’s an offering i could create that would align with that point of view?’.

it further strikes me that making an aligned offer isn’t the same as agreeing with them. it’s not saying, ‘your point of view is right’. it’s just saying, ‘okay. so you believe _______? wonderful. let’s start with that then.’

that feels really gracious but also way more effective. it’s speaking to where they’re at right now – but also what they BELIEVE about why they’re there.

any more thoughts on this Jessica?

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.

You have to give people what they want first and address the issues/needs that they see as most pressing.

It’s not about what I think as an expert, but what they feel they need. I’m not in the business of changing people’s points of view. I do try to offer a broad perspective, so they can make empowered, informed decisions, but ultimately, if everyone shared the same point of view on sex, my job would quickly become obsolete. When I think about any of the creative services I offer, I begin by posing the questions my clients might have. I ask myself, what are the three big questions people want answered with regard to a topic and then I build from there.

For more info on Jessica and her work you can go to: http://jessicaoreilly.com/

| Categories: The Irresistible Offer - Tags: communicating value, generosity based business, irresistible offers, pink spoons, point of view, trusted advisor

oakland’s pay what you want holistic clinic

By: Tad | Published: June 10, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Imagine a holistic health clinic where you didn’t have to pay.

Last August, I was emailed a link to a video about just such a clinic in Oakland, California. Since people know I do most of my workshops on a Pay What You Can basis – they tend to send me lots of stories and examples. I watched the video and was so moved and posted it onto my blog.

And then, just a month ago I was in Oakland leading a marketing workshop with my pal Alex Baisley called, ‘Marketing for Hippies and Gyspies’ (myself being the hippie and alex being the gyspie). As we did the introduction circle at the start of the day – a woman, Aumatma Binal Shah (pictured right), introduced herself and the amazing, gift economy holistic health clinic she ran.

Levers and gears clicked in my head. I burst out in the biggest smile and blurted out, ‘You’re on my blog!!!’. I was so excited. I think you will be too when you read about it and watch the video below.

Aumatma’s project – The Karma Clinic – is special, brave and generous. I want to see it get every scrap of support it can. Spread the word.

Below is my interview with her.

What is the name of your project?

Karma Clinic

What’s the story of how this came about? What was the need you saw in the community that it emerged from?

I had a vision when I was 18 that I would be doctor running a ‘free’ clinic.

At the time, I wanted nothing to do with either- medicine or free! Fast forward 4 years of pre-med undergrad and at the end not having a clue what to do with my life since I really did not want to go to medical school, I was discouraged and confused.

At that time, I got a piece of “junk mail” at my parents’ home from a Naturopathic College. I took one look at the curriculum and knew that I was meant to become a Naturopathic Doctor and that I was being called to be of service. Through school, I volunteered at numerous free clinics and noticed that something was missing- people mostly took us for granted, and did not follow the suggestions/ recommendations given to them.

After graduation from Naturopathic school with a Doctorate in Naturopathy and Master’s in Nutrition, I felt the need for an inward journey for discovery and deepening of understanding the world from a wholistic perspective.

That desire led me to a monastery where I spent a year, living mostly in silence, without any contact with money, and lots of time to connect with myself and nature while living harmoniously & sustainably with community and the earth. After a year, I felt called to re-start my service to the world on a broader scale so I left the monastery to join a naturopathic office, with my mentor.

Within a few months, I started to notice a repeated uneasiness in the pit of my stomach after each session, upon walking out of the office and telling the client they now owed us a large sum of money (usually between $300-500). I did not like the equation of this connection and relationship with another person with cash or transaction.

In complete synchro-destiny, I received an email from a dear friend who runs an organization/ hub for gift-economy projects, saying that there was some talk of a ‘karma hospital’- similar to Karma Kitchen, but instead of serving food, the intention was to serve health. Very excited by the possibility, I moved across the country 3 months later, to converse and create with others that were inspired by the same vision.

This closed a loop for me of the vision I had in meditation 10 years prior, and I knew that I was following my path, my truth.

Can you share a few examples of how your project works?

The way it works is: a client contacts me (or some other practitioner within the network) for an appointment. They get sent an extensive questionnaire which they fill out and send back. Then, they make an appointment to come into the office. We have our first session, generally about 2 hours.

At the end of our time together, I say something like (it changes to what’s most authentic in the moment): “Thank you for this opportunity to be of service, and a small conduit for your healing process. I offer this to you as a gift, because there’s no price tag that is enough- and any price is too much! Your session was made possible by someone that came before you and if you wish to pay it forward, so that someone else may have this experience, you can do so- now or at any point in the future.” At that point, the client may have questions, or an offering, or a ‘thank you’ and a hug! All are received with trust and generous heart.

Who do you find it’s working best for?

In terms of the gift-economy component, it works best for those that are wishing to grow in their generosity, don’t have access to medical care and are in need of it, and are willing to make a shift in their life for the better.

In terms of my own specialties, I work with a variety of issues but focus on: anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and stress-induced chronic illness. The reason that I focus on these is that they often get ignored and eventually result in greater imbalances and diseases in the body. So, its the way I feel I can be of the most service to those that need it the most!

how do you deal with the ‘guilt’ that can come up when people are afraid they won’t pay enough – i get this all the time.

The ‘guilt’ is a feeling that’s an internal measure that can actually be used as an indicator light for internal truth, rather than intellectualized truth. However, that feeling of guilt is internal- understanding that it is not coming from the gift-economy practitioner because there’s no pressure to give back in the gift-economy. The “right” amount should feel light and joyous. So, when giving a gift, one should give the amount that feels good- its a different place for everyone, but each individual has that place that feels “light and right” to them! It’s not too much, not too little.

What are the top three most effective ways you’ve found to market this?

I haven’t marketed at all! My clients spread the word all on their own. So, the best thing I have found to do is to be present with the person immediately in front of me.

do you have any fancy marketing and promotion ideas coming up?

No. Just moving with the flow of what the universe brings in.

what advice would you give to someone wanting to try a gift economy approach?

Put on your gear (of compassion and trust) and dive in! It does help to have a mentor though- because inevitably, things arise which need to be talked through. In the beginning, it’s also helpful to have some period of time that your basic needs are met to start out (I say 6 months is a good period of time), to allow yourself to really dive into the gift-economy, without expecting anything in return. Last but not least, connect with community that inspires you and connect with your own gratitude regularly.

What are the three biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way?

TRUST. TRUST. TRUST. I have deepened (and continue to deepen) my trust in the universe- that all my needs will be met if I just allow my gifts to flow through me.

What’s the next level for your project? What are you most excited about that’s coming up?

Excited about the growing network of gift-based healers across the country! I am going to be on tour June 5th-July 15th, doing funshops on “Money & Media for healers”. These workshops are also offered on a gift basis and am looking forward to having conversations with other healers around money, sharing gift-economy model for healthcare with them, and inspiring them to try new ways of practicing their art/ service/ gift.

Go watch this little video about the Karma Clinic:

If people want to find out more about your project, support it or get involved – what should they do?

Come visit our site at:

http://www.karmaclinic.org

| Categories: Case Studies of Inspiring Business, holistic practitioners, Political Context for Marketing, PWYC - Tags: authenticity, building trust, generosity based business, holistic practitioners, irresistible offers, safety

the backstage pass: a simple idea to get people super interested in your workshops

By: Tad | Published: May 10, 2011 · Leave a Comment

This is the coolest idea for event promotion.

Let’s say you’ve got a multiday workshop, gathering or retreat that you do on an ongoing basis and you’re wanting to build interest in it.

Or maybe it’s an annual party your business hosts.

But you’re struggling. I mean, sure – you’ve got your sales letter up and you might even be doing some live intros – but you know there’s a magic that happens at it that is just plain hard to describe. People who go are transformed, empowered, networked and excited. They love it. They rave about it! You know that once people experience it they ‘get it’.

But . . . what else can you do to get them there?

My colleagues Jeffrey Van Dyk and Suzanne Falter Barns have a very cool idea: share video ‘highlights’ from it. They’ll be doing this for their Spiritual Marketing Quest next weekend in San Francisco (at which I’ll be hosting the Friday night social event).

Have someone film the event and then release some of the ‘best bits’ online during the course of the weekend itself so people can be getting a ‘taste’ of it in almost real time.

This could include footage of you . . .

presenting some of your very best content

getting prepped ‘backstage‘ and sharing what’s on your mind

debriefing what you learned at the end of the day

coaching someone on stage and helping them have a breakthrough

participants sharing a key lesson or idea that they got from your weekend that others might find valuable

If it were more of a party thing: it might just be some b-roll of the party and fun interviews with all of the wonderful people there.

You get the idea.

A few other ideas to make this work better:

it’s free – don’t charge money for these.

be generous. Don’t just give them a thirty second clip. Think 5 – 20 minutes long. Give them real value. Give them substance.

send them out in ‘real time’. Set it up so they can subscribe to get them and send out three or four over the course of the day so they can sort of ‘join you’ at the event. Make it a real, old fashioned ‘event’. It’s a happening!

make sure each video ends with a next step. Who knows, they might just love it! And if they do, they’ll want to know what’s available next. That might be a link to the sales letter for your next event. It might be a link to go to a place where they can buy the homestudy version. Or it might just tell them where to get more cool stuff.

film your event and offer a ‘home study’ version of it with video and workbooks. You can offer this to those who attended and those who signed up for your ‘backstage’ videos.

Some more reasons to check out their videos:

A few weeks ago, I shared a call they led about how your ‘deepest wound is your truest niche’. I met Jeffrey last year and was just blown away by his take on the whole question on niche and target marketing. It’s one of the most authentic and thoughtful approaches to the subject that I’ve ever heard. I’ll be sharing more about that down the road.

But, if you’re struggling with this whole question of ‘niche’ then I can’t recommend a better source of guidance for you. Really.

How to identify and build your business around an authentic niche is the whole focus of their three day Spiritual Marketing Quest (it’s like a three-day Indian wedding for the soul of your business – beautiful pageantry, ceremony, spiritual connection, and thoughtful processes that lead you back to yourself at the core of your being). Amazing.

There’s a lot of buzz in the marketplace about this weekend. More than 130 folks are attending as of this emailing.

CLICK HERE.

| Categories: event promotion, marketing tactics - Tags: becoming a hub, building trust, communicating value, generosity based business, pink spoons

newsletter case study video: Kim Tanasichuk

By: Tad | Published: May 2, 2011 · 3 Comments

A colleague of mine Kim Tanasichuk just put out a little newsletter that I thought was really great. You can watch it here or below.

Newsletters are tricky. Everyone’s doing them. Everyone wants you on their email list. How often to send them out? What kind of content to put in them? Should I put this in my blog or in my newsletter. Not easy stuff. And it’s not like every community of people even want the same things from a newsletter. Not everyone responds the same way.

But if you’re coming from a place of genuinely wanting to add value and having your newsletter be helpful (vs. just a chance to sell and promote your stuff) that’s great.

So, the question becomes: what would your people find really, really helpful?

What I most love about Kim’s newsletter here is how it’s clearly all about being of service to her clients. It’s so generous. It gives them five wonderful resources to check out.

But, ironically, by being so generous and thoughtful – it positions us as a hub. Kim becomes positioned not only as a web designer – but a source of solutions for local, conscious entrepreneurs.

I hope you enjoy the little screen capture video I made below.

| Categories: becoming a hub, newsletters - Tags: becoming a hub, building trust, generosity based business, trusted advisor

ideas of things to put on your blog

By: Tad | Published: April 6, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Last week, Jaime Almond (pictured right) and I got to chatting about blogs and what sorts of content is good to have on them.

Jaime: you are definitely the best blogger I know

me: really? what makes me so good do you think?

Jaime: you are very creative with content you do different styles of posts – like chats, comments etc you highlight what others are doing, you went from zero to blogger extraordinaire in like a month . . . well instantly, but after the first month you had a ton of content

me: hmm! i hadn’t thought about the importance of different styles in blogging. let’s do another brainstorm – what matters most in blogging!

Jaime: engagement – so connecting with your audience in a way that opens a conversation. new bloggers can give up because they don’t get lots of comments straight away.. it takes time to build a following

me: i think having lots of internal links in your blog so they can find other blog posts on your site that are in a similar vein

Jaime: relevance.. it has to be relevant, interesting

me: what are all the different blog formats you can think of?

youtube videos

Jaime: interviews
7 steps to __________
event listings

me: screencapture videos of things on your computer, before and after case studies

Jaime: highlighting someone
tips

me: a highly opinionated rant about something, commenting on current events and tying it into the work you do

Jaime: oh yeah everyone loves a good rant.. drama is intriguing

me: reviewing a book, movie or something. chats like this!

Jaime: your best content. thought leadership – ie universal truths for your audience

me: some sort of question you put out on a controversial topic: like when i put out ‘is conscious marketing bullshit’ i got an epic response of people weighing in to share their take on it, a critique of your own industry

Jaime: Questions are the key. I think every post should end with a quesiton. oh.. on delivery of the content.. it needs to be easy to read.. have clear headers to break up content, include pictures…. blogs must be good for scanners

me: yes! i’m a huge fan of including a really compelling picture at the top of every blog. it really transforms it. and i think it’s good to mix up the length. once in a while write an epic long one. other times – put out something that’s a couple of paragraphs.

Jaime: so people go online to research and be educated, they also want to socialize, and finally they want to be entertained.. so finding the balance between all of these competitions

me: right.

Jaime: critiques – that could be like a case study, or it could just be a before and after

me: yay. i’ll put these on my blog next week. woot!

Jaime: before you do, you should ask your readers.. do a survey about what they like on blogs on your blog also ask what they would like to see

me: might just do that!

Jaime: then you could use actual data – also ask them what their favourite blogs are and why.

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| Categories: becoming a hub, Social Media - Tags: blogs, generosity based business