Doubt sells.

Uncertainty sells.

Pain sells.

Fear sells.

Scarcity sells.

 
These are the messages I’ve been getting about marketing lately. And I have to tell you, I’m REALLY bothered about it.

I’ll be the first to admit, marketing is not my forte…or my passion. Sometimes it’s even a dirty word around here. But since I launched The Live Huge Factor, I’m immersed daily in the marketing aspect of business—it’s a work-in-progress, but my mindset is changing, and I like to always keep an eye peeled to learning more about this subject. Particularly to learn different perspectives, techniques, etc. from the talented marketing gurus and entrepreneurs out there who live and breathe this stuff.

As I’ve delved deeper into the world of marketing, however, I’ve disturbingly found that the messages and themes many of these so-called experts are [still] teaching come straight from the list above. Their M.O. is all about breeding fear, anxiety, and scarcity in the minds of our audiences and potential customers, so we can swoop in and be their hero—while they pay us for the privilege. (Not-so-coincidentally these same folks also use the same techniques on us biz owners to buy their brand of “expertise.”)

Here’s a prime example—the one that also happened to inspire this post. Yesterday I was looking through a how-to resource about marketing for the launch of a new online offering, authored by someone who calls themselves a business coach. As I was reading through the information, one of the steps punched me in the gut (and turned me off of their work forever). It was this—

Right there in black-and-white, encouraging us to specifically outline and make a plan for how we will “build scarcity and urgency” in the minds of whomever consumes our marketing.

Send messages of lack. Tell people they’re not enough. Insist there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed. Make them “feel their pain.” Intentionally provoke their saboteurs & gremlins in effort to make a few bucks. Hold the creation of false urgency as a principled way of doing business.

No thanks.

That’s not the kind of business owner I’m interested in being. And I don’t believe for a minute that is the way you or I (or anyone) have to market our offerings and services in order to have a thriving, kick-ass business.

Here’s what I believe instead—

Authenticity sells.

Realness sells.

Heart + soul sells.