GarthBox

Empathy is a way to travel the world from where you’re at. And just with traveling to a foreign, unfamiliar country, empathy is uncomfortable. It might even feel awkward having to set aside your worldview for that of another who didn’t grow up the way you grew up and doesn’t think the way you think. But it’s necessary to market effectively.

Having empathy is about understanding how to talk with someone, not advertise to them. Empathy is about building trust, not getting attention. Empathy is about connecting, not selling.

If you were to tell your target, “I see you.” What does that mean? How do they see the world? How do they really feel about the promise you’ve made?

It’s not that customers don’t know what you know. It’s that they don’t care about what you care about. They don’t see the world in the same way. And most importantly, they’re not going to–that’s your job, to meet them on their turf.

 

Stay Positive & Spend A Day In Their Shoes, It Will Change (Improve) Everything You Do

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At the heart of any business and of any marketing is a promise.

There’s the transactional promise that’s often stated. This for that. $499 for the premium package.

Then, and ultimately more meaningful, there is the implicit promise. The unmeasurable and often emotional impact you’re creating.

The promise for one bar might be that you can enjoy a beer in a space that’s like having it at home.

The promise for Pinterest might be that you can discover more of what you already love.

What’s your explicit promise? What’s your implicit promise?

 

Stay Positive & There’s Always Something Beyond A Transaction

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To make messaging that matters for your target, you have to go beyond understanding demographics into comprehending their psychographics.

Three lists that are worth making:

1. What are the desires of your target?
2. What are their frustrations?
3. What types of personalities do they have?

Almost as important as who you are trying to change is who you’re willing to leave out.

What are their desires, frustrations and personalities?

 

Stay Positive & Write’em Out And Share Them With Me If You Want (thegarthbox@gmail.com)

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Rest is an easy default action to energize.

But more often than not, it’s not energy we need.

It’s will power. It’s a resurgence of passion. It’s being reminded of the why we do what we do.

Better to surround yourself with the right people than to avoid them all together.

That’s how you fill your tank.

 

Stay Positive & Now You Can Walk 500 More

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Contrary to popular believe, a solo isn’t a time for you to shine alone.

A solo is as significant as it is because the audience knows your surrounded by support even if no one’s standing behind you.

A solo is more of a singalong. It comes after someone and before someone else.

A solo is meant to elevate, bridge and connect a group (not only the audience) on a deeper level.

The only solos that don’t work are the selfish ones. The mic drop ones. The one and done ones.

 

Stay Positive & At Minimum, Someone Was There To Take The Photo

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It’s a mental game and you’re not the one who gets to decide how people play.

Rather, you play to their characteristics.

This is why it’s so important to understand who your target is.

Who they really are.

 

Stay Positive & Enter Their Story

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A succession plan is smart, even if you haven’t started on your endeavor yet.

Like any plan, a succession plan is never truly set in stone. However, having one does two things.

1) It gets you in the mindset of success.

2) It makes it easier to stick to your decision of how to handle your success once you’re there.

Many are driven crazy once they’ve achieved what they set out to. Why? Because they’ve built a tribe that’s leaning on them.

Throughout your journey, you’re growing a following of people who expect you to act a certain way. You owe it to them to live to their expectations, not your in-the-moment, unplanned, selfish wants once you’ve reached your destination, right?

Do you sell your company to a conglomerate who you fought against to get started? Do you use funds to build more of what you’ve created or scrap it to start something entirely new? Would you plan to donate a percentage of profits after you meet a threshold? Would you give it all away for free?

It’s worth ruminating on what you’ll do if you succeed in the change you’re trying to make.

You may think what you’re creating now is your legacy, but more likely, it’ll be what you do with what you’ve succeeded at that makes all the difference.

 

Stay Positive & You Do Plan To Succeed, Right?

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