Don’t Push or Pull – Respond

There’s a common misperception that marketing is mostly about making people do what you want them to do, rather than what they would normally want to do.

Often it’s couched in a very positive way – persuasion, using slick presentations and pulling on emotional heartstrings to get this “magic” to happen.

I believe that this is not the best marketing.

Persuasion (which is looking at this in the best possible light) can very easily turn to manipulation or even deception. This approach does not get you what you really want from marketing, which is customers that love you.

An alternative to hustle

Seth Godin wrote a post a few months back called an alternative to Hustle. Paraphrasing, he described hustling as exaggerating things, social pressure, applying social pressure and even interrupting them at inopportune times with what you want to happen.

And while he wasn’t talking only about marketing, I think this is a perfect description of what the challenge is.

The truth is, there is no free lunch in marketing. You have to earn your customers the hard way, and the hard way is not to make customers out of nothing.

Go with the energy

The hard way – and the best way – is to go with the energy and find the customers that should be yours.

How do you do that?

Rather than focusing on pushing or pulling them, focus on responding to them. Find the people that you know you can help – the people that really need what you’re creating – and tell them how you can help them.

Be authentic. Be honest.

Better yet, actually help them. Don’t wait until they buy from you. Share some of that goodness before they even pay you.

What you’ll find is that they appreciate that. They’re drawn to you much more long-term than if you trick them into buying from you or taking an action on your behalf.

So don’t persuade. Instead, try to connect and “lead the herd of your customers – the ones that you know you can help.

You’ll find that this is a much more effective way to attract clients. You’ll create more than customers: you’ll create loyal fans for your business.