Hype: it’s in the eye of the beholder
Marketing expert Dan Kennedy estimates that “the average adult consumer is presented with more opportunities to spend money today in one 4-hour period than he was in thirty 24-hour periods just a decade ago.”
Ten years from now we’ll look back on today as positively serene.
Email, formerly the low-stress way you kept in touch with friends and worked from home when your boss kindly let you, is now so disruptive that Tim Ferris (The 4-Hour Work Week) cautions us not even to peek until we’ve accomplished the most important tasks of the workday.
Is the solution to blame marketers? Or to fine tune your personal filters and take back your life?
As an attraction marketer for two decades now, I know that one woman’s “sleazy hype” is another’s “just what I’ve been looking for–and it’s on sale!”
Recently I was accused of turning to “lack-based marketing tricks” by a reader objecting to the email headline: “There’s room for just 4 more new coaching clients before the rates go up.”
She didn’t read the 50 or so responses saying, “Thank you! I’ve been thinking about coaching for so long — your offer sounds great — what’s the next step?”
It’s hype if you aren’t interested and a blessing if you are.
Rather than waste your life energy denouncing hype and feeling victimized by marketers, take responsibility. Get clear on what you choose to pay attention to. Cheerfully Ignore the rest.
Because the marketing melee marches on.
Andrea
www.successfulselfemployment.com
Cliff Smith on 26 Jan 2008 at 6:27 am #
I’m always amazed that many people will buy from strangers without a second thought, but if a friend tries to offer them something they think is worthwhile they put up their defenses quickly. It seems like “if it’s on TV” it has some credibility, but if it sold through the Internet or network marketing only, they tend to think, “it must be a scam”.
When we tell friends about health products that we think are better than those advertised in the mass media or sold in grocery stores, they ignore us. However, if the latest drug or drink or junk food is advertised on TV, they hardly think twice about buying it.
Even though we may know where our products were made, who made them and what exactly is in them, it seems many of our friends trust mass media more than us. They are willing to shell out money for items advertised frequently, even though they can only guess about where the products are made, who made them and what exactly is in them.
I say, show some support for your friends and other well meaning people, like Andrea Conway, who are trying to tell you about something they believe is worthwhile. If you want to stop the barrage of advertising, then stop buying products made by companies that bombard you with it on TV, in magazines or junk mail. Listen to your friends. Maybe they really have something worthwhile to tell you about.
Oh, by the way, I really enjoyed the Email about “zig zag your way to success”. That inspired me to thank you in writing, so here it is. Thank you for sharing your expertise, enthusiasm and quest for greater knowledge. by paying more attention to things like that and less attention to garbage in the mass media I feel better about my own personal growth.
zannie on 26 Jan 2008 at 7:54 am #
I enjoy your articles, and wanted to read your blog too but that yellow label to the left irritates me no end!!! How do I de-attract that I wonder. I was amazed at that estimate as to how much we have on offer compared to just 10 years ago..makes me wonder how I could get my work to stand out from the crowds
zannie rose
Ann Bell on 26 Jan 2008 at 8:56 am #
Andrea, Thanks for gently leading me into the Law of Attraction over the past 4 or 5 years.
I am looking forward to joining your Inner Circle.
Ann
Mari . on 26 Jan 2008 at 9:14 am #
Congratulations! Your blog is inviting and informative. You are my inspiration/role model/mentor as I work on making my website a $Marketing Machine$.
al berman on 26 Jan 2008 at 9:22 am #
Andrea,
I’ve never met you but have subscribed to your newsletter for about a year. At one point I forwarded one to a friend and she has since become one of your coaching clients. After she first started working with you I was surprised to receive an amazon gift certificate from you as a gesture of gratitude for the referral. I can’t remeber any company doing something like that. You can call me friend anytime.
Al Berman
Laura on 26 Jan 2008 at 9:15 pm #
Andrea,
Thank you for that great insight. Here is what I do with all my spam and unwanted mail that I receive everyday……
Due to the nature of my business I have to keep a watch on my e-mail because that is how I know that I have orders coming in.
So when I get on to check my e-mails and I get these ‘unwanted’ or ‘unsolicited’ mails. I briefly peruse and then I silently say “Thank You for the opportunity, this is not for me yet.” or something similar as I hit my delete button.
It makes me smile and I am able to continue on my way without the tension, stress etc. that I used to have.
Just my way and perception on dealing with how everyone else is trying to make a living.
Thank you Andrea for your e-mails, suggestions and love that constantly comes through your messages.
Tom Volkar / Delightful Work on 27 Jan 2008 at 6:29 am #
I’ve never thought about hype being in the eye of the beholder but I guess it is. Everything else is valued according to our perception of it. That said I still vote a big NO to endlessly long sales letters. Give me brevity and I sometimes buy. Give me too much length and you’ve lost me to your hype.
Doug Scott on 27 Jan 2008 at 9:05 am #
Andrea,
Interesting set of distinctions!
I found myself smiling then laughing out loud, mostly at myself …..as you walked straight into my mind of judgement and irritation, then made it crystal clear that It was only my perspective!
Yep you are right another man’s/or womans trash is anothers treasure.
How did you learn to say so much in so little?
If it works and it does, do it!
Thanks for the wake up call, now I feel tons less righteous….or fearful of marketing in “unusual styles” and before…sleazy styles!
Doug Scott
Founder
OnLine Power Express LLC
Evelyn on 27 Jan 2008 at 8:50 pm #
Andrea,
I have always agreed with your idea that hype is in the eye of he beholder.
If you don`t like the `hype` you can always put it into the `junk` category or unsubscribe.
But if you don`t receive information, you will never know if it is useful to you.
There has been so much useful information I have accessed, which would have remained unknown otherwise.
Keep up the good work.
Evelyn
zannie on 28 Jan 2008 at 4:06 am #
I have returned to your blog after listening to the audio and am delighted the click for peace does not follow me..so much more restful.
I loved the audio and the 5 principles, and number 4 resonated in a new way for me today. I had heard it before, but never consciously acted on it. Today I must have been ready to hear it on a new level as it inspired me to sign up for something I really really wanted, but ‘couldnt afford’, now I have slanted it to match principle four,,,I am off to sign up now, full of anticipation of more success on more and more levels
zannie rose
Jaques on 30 Jan 2008 at 5:44 am #
Thank you for telling us again that which we have all forgotten.
Another 50 or so times, mite just do it!
Thx
Claudia on 11 Apr 2008 at 8:21 am #
I was just accused of the same thing in my marketing material, of being too “yankee” (I’m in Argentina and market to Latin Americans for one of my businesses).
That person didn’t see all the “thank you for your article” comments sent to my personal email.
Definitely, hype is in the eye of the beholder and spending energy in accusing people really means they don’t have anything more interesting to do
Best regards,
Claudia Juarez