Let’s Get Personal about Being Positive
Last Sunday, my improv teacher gave me an instruction – He said I needed to introduce more positive ideas into my acting. I tend to always go for the negative.
This was familiar advice. I’d been given it before by previous instructors.
But this week, it struck me differently. I’ve felt for a while that something has been holding me back from progressing as an improviser. And after my teacher’s comments, I knew this was it.
The funny thing is – that inside, in my heart and mind – I’m a positive person. But I’ve been protecting that by being sarcastic and dramatic to the outside world.
I got away with that for a few years because people have a certain tolerance for those going through a rough time. During the course of a few years, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, had a bit of a nasty breakup and went through unemployment – twice.
But now things are great. I got married to a super awesome guy and became an insta-mom to his 2 fantastic kids. We have 2 wonderful cats and a soon-to-be wonderful dog. And I finally started getting jobs that I enjoy and where my work is appreciated.
What a difference a year makes!
However, suddenly my sense of humor wasn’t funny anymore. People don’t have sympathy for me because my life is great, so their tolerance for my sarcasm has diminished. I notice them physically drawing away from me when I utter a caustic comment.
So it’s time for a new game plan. I love making people laugh, but I also know that the best laughs are from positive ideas.
Does this all relate to marketing? Of course! I’d much rather see a campaign that creatively promotes a brand rather than criticizing the competition.
The reason I should buy your brand is not because the other guy isn’t great. If you establish that your competition is unworthy of my purchase, then you’ve got me to stop buying them – but you haven’t necessarily motivated me to buy your brand. Or if you have, it’s not with great confidence.
Making consumers feel great about your product is a much more powerful motivator than making them feel bad about the competition. Success is built on strengths – not on weaknesses.
Think about your own work – are you more likely to perform well when you’re praised and admired or when you’re criticized and unappreciated?
Go motivate your consumers. Comment on their blogs. Link to their posts. Send them a freebie. Make them feel great and you’ve built their loyalty. I’ll bet they’ll tell someone about it.
[tags]positive thinking, success, marketing, social media[/tags]
