In a blog post on his site, best-selling author Michael Hyatt tells a story that I want to hear.
I want you to hear it because it reveals a way that I believe you can use to change the results that you’re experiencing in your marketing and therefore, your company.
Let me share Michael’s story and then I will explain how it applies to marketing.
Change Your Story, Change Your Life
Listen to Michael Hyatt’s story in his own words…
“When I was twenty-nine years old, I became vice president of marketing for Thomas Nelson. It was a huge step up in my career.
“At the time, I thought I had arrived at the pinnacle of success. But I was in over my head. Or at least that’s the way it felt. I was just waiting for other people to come to the same conclusion.
“I struggled constantly with anxiety and fear—anxiety was the daytime version; fear was the nighttime version. This manifest itself in my body in two embarrassing ways:
“First, I sweat profusely.
Second, my hands were always cold—ice cold.“Before attending important meetings, I would wear two t-shirts, hoping that I wouldn’t sweat through both. I strategically selected my clothing, based on which colors would show the least amount of perspiration.
“I would also step into the bathroom right before the meeting began, and frantically run hot water over my hands.
“I would then dry them vigorously, praying that they would warm up. I dreaded having to shake hands with anyone.
“At some point, I realized that the problem was not in my body, but in my head. I was telling myself a bad story… Mine went like this:
‘You are too young for this job. Worse, you don’t have the experience. Who do you think you are fooling? It’s just a matter of time before everyone in the company sees it. When that happens, you will be out on the street—right where you should have been all along.’“I would never say this out loud, of course. It was just the sound-track that was playing inside my head.
“Change Your Story, Change Your Life“ – Blog post from Michael Hyatt
“Things didn’t change until I became aware of the story and took control of the narrative. I started telling myself a different story.
“I think almost every problem we experience can be traced back to the stories we tell ourselves.
“There may be a good reason for these stories, but in the end they produce bad outcomes. It comes down to this: Change your story, change your life.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Marketing
Michael’s story is about changing your life, and I’d encourage you to read the rest of his post to discover Michael’s “five lessons to change the narrative in your head” when you’re done with this post.
But today, I want to talk to you about how the story we tell ourselves about marketing impacts: how we think about marketing, how we feel about marketing, and, worst of all, what we can accomplish with our marketing or marketing strategy.
You see, the stories we tell ourselves about what marketing is, what it can accomplish, how to market effectively will ultimately determine whether our marketing is effective or not.
Examples of Negative Stories About
Marketing That Non-Marketers Tell Themselves
- Marketing doesn’t work. If you tell yourself this story about marketing, you won’t try marketing. Or you’ll try it halfheartedly and, therefore, you’ll continue believing this story.
- Marketing is magical and mysterious. If you tell yourself this story about marketing, then you’ll only believe that marketing can be done by the gurus and the wizards. You’ll think that a mere mortal like you can never do it effectively.
- Marketing is complicated and difficult. If you tell yourself this story about marketing, then you will be intimidated and overwhelmed by it. You’ll be stressed and worried every time you try any marketing.
- Marketing is sleazy and manipulative. If you tell yourself this story, about marketing, then you’re going to feel guilty every time you do marketing of any kind. You will be apprehensive about trying to encourage anyone to buy whatever it is that you’re offering.
- Marketing is expensive. If you tell yourself this story about marketing, then you’re going to never see the ROI that marketing can bring you. You’re only going to see it as an expense. And that’s all you’re going to look for.
- Marketing can solve all of your problems. If you tell yourself this story about marketing, then you’re going to be sadly disappointed. Because there are some problems that marketing can’t solve.
The problem with all of the above stories is that none of them are really true. They’re all marketing fairy tales.
The Truth About Marketing
- Marketing does work if it’s done effectively. In fact, as I used to tell my marketing students at UC Berkeley Extension, you might be using marketing and not even realize it.
- Marketing isn’t magical and doesn’t need to be mysterious. It is based on proven and tested principles that have bee around for over 100 years. (You can learn these principles on this site and in our member’s area.
- Marketing isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. (If you’d like a free consultation to see if we should work together to simplify your marketing, then contact me.)
- If marketing had to be sleazy and manipulative in order to work, I wouldn’t be involved in it. You don’t believe anyone who tells you it has to be that way.
- Marketing can be expensive, but there are plenty of ways to use it on a tight budget. If you market correctly, it will produce enough ROI to make it cost-effective for you.
- Marketing can’t solve all of your problems. If your product or service is not good, or if you’re trying to sell them to the wrong prospects, then no marketing will ever help you.
You will never be able to market effectively, if the stories that you’re telling yourself about marketing are just fairy tales.
Examples of Limiting Stories About Marketing That Marketers Tell Themselves
Marketers aren’t immune to having problems that stem from the stories they tell themselves about marketing. But instead of telling themselves false stories, they tell themselves limiting stories.
Here are some of the limiting stories that marketers tell themselves about marketing:
- Marketing is all about analytics.
- Marketing is all about creating desire.
- Marketing is brand awareness.
- Marketing is a numbers game.
The problem with the stories on the above list is that some are only partially true and others are only based on one facet of marketing.
None of the above things are really what marketing really is at its core.
If the stories that you tell yourself about marketing are only partially true, or based on only one facet of marketing, then you will never be able to accomplish all that’s possible with your marketing.
The Only Solution is to Listen to Michael
The only way for non-marketers to be able to market effectively and the only way for marketers to accomplish more of what’s possible with their marketing is by doing what Michael Hyatt said: Change your story.
About two years ago, I came up with a different analogy for marketing than one I’ve ever thought of before.
That analogy changed the story that I had been telling myself about marketing for almost two decades.
If you’re curious, I came up with it after reading something in a book by an economist. (I never read these types of books.)
Anyway, because I was getting ready to teach my first marketing class for UC Berkeley Extension, I decided to come up with my own personal definition of marketing based on this analogy.
I think that this analogy and the personal definition for marketing that I’ve come up with could rewrite the story that you’ve been telling yourself about marketing.
Discover a Different Way to Think About Marketing
Most people don’t really know what marketing is.
They think it’s advertising, but it’s not. Advertising is a part of marketing, but marketing is more than advertising.
That’s why people have such a difficult time trying to market effectively.
How can you do something effectively, if you don’t know what it really is?
P.S. Make sure you check out Michael Hyatt’s website. He has great info on there about how to “win at work and succeed at life.”
