Sonia Simone, someone I like and respect tremendously, wrote a fair and cautionary post “Dumb Things Small Businesses Do #7: Follow the Herd.”
So before I expand the conversation, let me say this up front: “Sonia! I loved your post. Folks- listen to her, the herd isn’t necessarily safe.”
But, that ain’t the whole story (nor did she mean it to be, I’m guessing.) To add to the conversation, I want to expand it beyond Herd and Unique, beyond Good and Evil. Because simply avoiding the herd is not safe either.
I’ve had lots of clients who have reacted very strongly to what they call “long sales copy” (and I call “complete sales copy”), or any one of a number of smart marketing tactics. They don’t like it, it doesn’t fit who they are, everyone else does it, they want to be different.
Fair enough. You want to be unique. I want to believe I’m unique, and do things my way.
But, there’s another word for being contrary for contrary’s sake: Reactionary. That’s when you automatically zag when someone else zigs. That’s just as painful to you and your business as zigging when everyone else zigs.
There’s been a lot made about Purple Cows, and being unique and how important that is for your business.
But here’s an important truth: the fundamentals of how marketing and business work hasn’t changed in thousands of years. There are 1,000,000+ marketers out there (including me) who are all saying essentially the Same Thing. We say This One Thing (or several related One Things), because there are fundamental truths about the human heart and how we connect to each other and build trust.
Let’s not worry about “herd” or “unique.” Let’s not worry about contrary or same. Let’s change the frame.
Beyond Good and Evil.
Beyond binary opposites of unique and herd, there’s something else. And that Something Else is Sincerity.
Sincerity is, in spiritual terms, a very special quality. In my spiritual path of Sufism, sincerity is considered the most important quality for the seeker. That willingness to honestly question, to really want the truth no matter the cost, will keep one on the path, and enable one to avoid illusions and pitfalls.
Sincerity keeps you humble. Sincerity keeps you connected to Source. Sincerity aids you in questioning your own actions, and the actions of others. Sincerity keeps you guessing at what’s true and what’s not.
That’s what keeps your business fresh. You may be following the herd, or you may not, but either way, with sincerity, you will connect with the people you need to connect with. And that will help your business, and your life, more than anything else.
I’m curious: have you ever resisted an urge to be “unique” and instead you “went with the herd” as a result of sticking to your sincerity?
8 Responses
First, thank you for such kind words.
Second, I love that distinction–not becoming simply a reactionary, or a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian.
I find it terribly interesting that, although marketing is actually a field that changes very little, because the human heart is what it is, the great majority of “the herd” doesn’t actually follow the principles that have been so well established.
It’s hard to keep focusing out, to keep reaching to speak to the heart of our customers, to keep our own egos out of the way. And it’s just as hard for giant ad agencies (I have had the good fortune to work alongside a few, which is a fascinating experience).
I’ve seen so many small businesses, not having the benefit of an agency (and a good agency is packed with advertising geeks who at least *know* all the old principles, even if they don’t always act on them), produce advertising with no real promise, no true differentiation, no customer benefits, etc.
I really like sincerity as an antidote. For me, it’s been about learning to tune into why I’m uncomfortable with something. Sometimes I might think a particular tactic is tacky or “icky,” and often that’s just ego and me being tribal in an unhelpful way.
Other times there’s that little wobble in the tummy that says, “this just isn’t me. It might be fine for someone else, but it doesn’t fit me and it never will.”
I love that you dig into this stuff, it keeps life interesting. I grew up thinking that business was boring, uncreative, and selfish. It’s been quite a journey finding out precisely the opposite. 🙂
Sonia Simone | Remarkable Communication
@sonia i spent the majority of my life thinking business was capitalism and capitalism was the devil (or the devil’s wet dream, as ani difranco sings), and in the past year i have been so delighted to discover that business can be the most intense spiritual undertaking of all.
it’s so great to be running with this pack (as distinguished from herd…the packs usually feed on the herds, don’t they?)
anyway…another thought i had about the whole herd thing (are you listening to me?) (pardon my inability to pass on a pun) is to paraphrase another great spiritual teacher: sometimes you have to be in the herd and not of it.
peace and blessings to you all!
charles
@Sonia- yuppers! And thanks for helping to link our cross-blog conversation here. You rock! Yet another reason I like you so much.
You are so right how hard it is to remain sincere and connected. It’s so easy to get distracted by our own needs.
@Charles- be in the herd but not of it. That’s a quotable. And, I had the a similar awakening as you did about business. “Crunch” goes the ego, eh?
Hi Mark,
I had an experience kind of like what you are referring to when I wrote my first sales page. I resisted and avoided because sales pages seemed so crass and commercial and like I was selling out and it just didn’t seem like me, blah, blah, blah.
And then I had a program that I really wanted to fill and it wasn’t filling so I bit the bullet and wrote one of those darned things and….. voila! Much to my surprise, it actually worked. My program filled and i had some egg on my face but some money in my pocket so it all balanced out.
It’s like you were saying, Mark. These marketing and business practices have been around for a long time with good reason and there’s no need to always reinvent the perfectly working wheel!
Thanks again for a great post!
chris zydel
@Chris- That’s a great example- thanks for sharing it. It’s so common. And it’s great to make a distinction between style and structure. Lots of people can use the structure of a sales page, and some people may end up using it in a way that doesn’t feel so harmonious to our souls and hearts.
And yet others, I’m guessing you did this, use the structure as a way to fully inform and give to the people who are interested in what you’re offering. Nourishing!
I’m so happy to see you here. 🙂
Mark,
Thanks for your thoughtfulness in continuing and expanding Sonia’s conversation.
The framers of the Declaration of Independence planted the seed of inspiration for this conversation when they said, “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal”. Wow, what terrific copywriting. But did it make the sale?
Looking at this statement through Sonia’s lens, are these truths as self evident as the framers wish us to believe? Are they worth questioning? History is full of examples of people taking the contrarian view, i.e. the U.S.civil war, apartheid, racial clensings, and the like.
Looking at framer’s copy through Mark’s wider lens, the framers may have considered both sides of the coin, all men are created equal vs all men aren’t created equal, and were guided by their sincere belief that the right choice was all men are created equal (women had to wait for their shot at equality until much later).
I agree that the fundamentals of marketing haven’t changed. We aim our marketing bullets at human nature to trigger emotional responses that result in a sale. How we use these bullets should be guided by the thought provoking posts of Sonia and Mark, and their 4 Commandments of Ethical Marketing:
1. Don’t follow the herd blindly
2. Question convential wisdom
3. Consider contrarian positions
4. Make your decision based upon your sincere belief that it’s the right path to travel
I have a personal experience to share. I’ve practiced law for 32 years. Part of my practice involved representing accident victims.
Many of my personal injury lawyer colleagues make alot of money paying “runners” for cases. They relied upon their wallet to buy cases, instead of growing their law practice by word of mouth referrals from satisfied clients. This practice is dispicable, but highly profitable.
I was approached on numerous occasions by “runners” to join the “track team”. I considered my options, chose not to follow the herd of personal injury attorneys engaging in this practice, and instead followed my sincere belief that it was not the right choice to make.
I chose sleeping at night and being true to myself vs. making a bunch of money the easy way (buying cases). I lost out on the money part, but when my kids asked me what I did today, my response wasn’t “I bought some cases at the runner store”.
I guess the framers of the Declaration of Independence didn’t make the equality sale, which conventional wisdom suggests is the purpose of copy writing. But, it’s a great thing to know that they chose to follow Sonia and Mike’s 4 Commandments of Marketing. The sales cycle may be very long, but there’s still a chance that the framers may yet close the equality deal. Let’s bookmark 12:01 p.m. on January 20,2009 and quietly thank the framers.
Great point. And could be said about so many things. In other words “There is no easy answer. You have to think.” Too many people are looking for the quick and easy path to whatever it is they are trying to do. And actually what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. You have to look at the principles, look at what others are doing, look at what the experts say, and then sit down and think about your own situation and listen to your own heart and figure out what works for you. And yes, sometimes you’ll make a mistake and have to try something different. But that is just the way it is.
I love being part of this conversation.
JoVE
@Lawrence- What a great story. And, I trust that your law practice has grown, regardless? I’m glad you chose the way of the heart. There are many important functions in the world that have gotten bad a name because of how others have chosen to pursue their profession- personal injury lawyers definitely fall into that category. I’m glad you’ve been bucking the trend and doing good works. That meets my need for inspiration.
@JoVE- It’s true- there’s no shortcut to staying awake. That’s really the point of this life, IMHO, to wake up more and more and more in every moment…
Although some days I could definitely use a nap. 😉