For when traditional marketing advice gives you the ick
Because behind every sale is a brave and beautiful choice...
In business, in many ways, it all comes down to the sale, right?
The next client booking. How our latest launch goes. This month’s total revenue.
We can experience so much anxiety around the money.
Will I make enough this quarter?
Will I reach my launch goals?
Will I book up my client availability for this year?
And of course the money matters.
The money is how we put a roof over our head and food on the table and, if we’re lucky, maybe buy some books, grab a morning pastry from our local coffee shop, and eat out at that tapas restaurant we love from time to time.
And this feels very true to me right now as I’m currently in an enrolment for my flagship group program.
It’s the sixth time I’ve launched this program, six times that I’ve put my nervous system through the wild ride of wondering how the launch will go.
And it’s worth it, it’s always worth it.
I get to welcome incredible humans into this program, bear witness to their magic and courage, and walk with them in their business journey as they move forward at a gentle and intentional pace.
And yes, of course, it allows me to continue to make enough money to pay the rent, feed my kid, and have a bedside that’s often overflowing with books that I can’t wait to read too.
But it’s also wildly nervous system activating too, wondering how it will go, if I’ve done enough, and the self-consciousness that comes with taking up space and selling too.
I’ve been oscillating between delight and gratitude when I see someone join us inside, to spiralling into a little self doubt if it’s been over 24 hours since someone joined, to reminding myself to just chill the hell out, trust myself, and surrender to what is out of my control.
And, more than anything, the reminder that has grounded me deeply through this launch, like it always does, is that someone joining us inside is a brave and beautiful choice.
I was reminded of this last week as I was pondering myself whether or not to invest in a course currently enrolling by a human whose work I’ve adored for years.
It’s a writing course, an invitation to make more space in my days for this thing that I say that I want to do this year: gently start to write a first draft of a novel.
And my hesitation isn’t really about the money, it’s about what I’m promising to myself if I hit that buy button.
It means I’ll either actually commit to making gentle space to do this thing that I want to do, with the support of this course by my side, or it’ll sit unloved in my downloads folder, a reminder of my failure to do the damn thing that I say I want to do.
And perhaps the even deeper question for me is: is this the season that I want to make some space for this thing that I say I want to do? Do I actually have the capacity to prioritise some life minutes for it right now?
And my own internal dialogue reminded me of what a sacred and beautiful choice it is when someone invests in one of our offerings: it’s a commitment to their hopes, their dreams, their courage to take the next step forward towards their desires and goals.
And this is why traditional marketing advice of persuasion and conversions and tapping into pain points has always deeply given me the ick in my business.
Because it’s really so much more human and messier than that.
It’s us being brave and patient enough in our business to take up space, put our lights on, and welcome our hell yes people into our offerings when the time is right for them.
And it’s our customers and client being brave enough to say yes to their own desires and betting on themselves and choosing their desires and joy through the investments that they make.
So really all I ever truly need to root into how I want to show up and approach marketing in my business is to ask myself: how do I want to honour the beautiful and brave choice that I’m inviting my hell yes people to make if the time is right for them?
It usually looks like making it easy for them to understand what they’re actually investing in through more details about the offer, testimonials, and sneak peaks.
It looks like sharing more of the values, vision, experience, and heart behind the offering so they know if it’s aligned for them or not.
And most of all it looks like gently sowing seeds throughout the year with my content and then gently putting my lights on when I’m enrolling for new customers and clients, no sleazy or pushy sales tactics in sight.
So I share all of this with you today to say: the next time that marketing feels overwhelming for you, when you’re navigating sales tactics and advice that feel really out of alignment for you, just ask yourself:
How do I want to honour the beautiful and brave choice that I’m inviting my hell yes people to make if the time is right for them?
And I have some free resources to support you too:
In part two of my free deep dive kit I walk you through the simple and spacious approach to your customer journey, marketing, and content.
In this free mini workshop I share 25 ways that you can invite people into your services and offerings with no sleazy sales tactics in sight.
And in this recent podcast episode I share my gentle and simple approach to marketing in this season which I’m calling 100 hell yes people.
And to show putting my lights on in action, if it feels like a beautiful, brave, and supportive choice for you, my group program Your Simple & Spacious Business is enrolling until Friday 9th February and I would be so honoured to welcome you inside if so.
Until next time,
Jen
I loved reading this: it came at just the right time for me. I have put aside tomorrow to do some work on my branding / marketing for my Substack, and I will for sure be coming back to this post when I sit down. Thank you for sharing!
I love this Jen, so so true & inspiring ✨