3 Ways in Which Marketing is Kind of Like Sex

By: Stephanie Tuesday September 20, 2016 comments Tags: Marketing, Mindset, Client attraction, Copywriting, Lead attraction, Content marketing, Enrollment

Did you know that marketing is kind of like sex? It's weird, but true.

Here are 3 things marketing has in common with sex, and some ways you can use this knowledge to attract more clients.

1. It's semi-taboo, yet necessary.

A lot of people get uncomfortable when the subject of sex comes up. The same is true for marketing and sales. When people ask you if you're selling something, it can actually sound like an accusation, which can make you feel defensive and guilty.

If you react with discomfort and shame, that will communicate to your client that you feel bad about offering them your services - which, in turn, gives them the impression that you're doing something bad by making the offer. This will make them reluctant to make a purchase, which costs you a client, and costs them the opportunity to make their life better by working with you.

What to do about it:

The next time someone makes a comment about you selling something, or says something like "I was wondering when the pitch was coming", own it without guilt.

Simply respond with something like "Yep - here it is!" or "I do have something that I think will help you, if you decide it's a good fit."

If you seem comfortable with selling to your potential client, that will help them to feel more comfortable in turn.

2. Relaxed connection is more important than stressed-out perfection.

Whether during sales or during sex, if you're all stressed out because you think you have to perform, impress and be perfect, you're probably going to flop. Possibly in more ways than one.

When you're tense and straining to project a facade of perfection, your audience will sense your discomfort and lack of authenticity. It can also make them feel like the agenda you're trying to pursue with your polished performance is more important than your relationship with them.

And if you're trying to imitate someone else, whether it's an erotic movie star in the bedroom, or another coach or marketer in the business world, the people with whom you're interacting won't be able to connect with you, because the real you isn't available to them. Your unique style and voice will be buried, and you'll end up looking and sounding phony.

What to do about it:

The next time you're giving a speech, hosting a webinar, or speaking to a potential client, relax. Be yourself. That doesn't mean you don't have to remember and use good sales and marketing techniques, but don't let your quest for perfection come before your connection with your potential client.

Instead, learn the principles, and practice them until they're second nature. Know the psychology that determines whether your customer leaves or buys, and once you’ve mastered the building blocks, put them together in a way that’s genuinely you.

3. If you're thinking about someone other than your partner, your connection will suffer.

If you're having sex with your partner, but thinking about your hot coworker or your business' deadlines, your partner will probably sense the disconnect.

Similarly, if you aren't focused on your client and their needs when you create your marketing materials or speak to them, it'll be hard to build trust and rapport with them.

If you're busy thinking about all the great lines you'd been planning to use during the conversation, then you may be able to go through all the right movements, but there will still be a disconnect.

And if you're trying to talk to everyone instead of specifically addressing the needs and problems of your target audience, it's like using a generic set of moves instead of the ones your particular partner desires. Your marketing will be merely lukewarm, and it won't awaken your audience's emotions and desires in a way that inspires a response.

What to do about it:

Focus on the person with whom you're talking, or the specific needs and desires of the audience you're trying to reach with your marketing materials.

Be present with your potential clients during enrollment conversations, and actually listen to them and tailor your responses to what they say instead of rigidly following a script.

And instead of using generic phrasing that's meant to appeal to everyone, and offering to solve so many problems that your coaching becomes an "everything pill", focus on the desires, needs and problems that your specific audience has, and do your best to tailor your phrasing to resonate with them in particular.

You'll probably find that when you do this, it's actually easier to write your marketing materials. When I first started out, I was trying to talk to every businessperson under the sun, and I was trying to sound like my mentors instead of trusting that my own voice was good enough.

As a result, while I was writing, I felt like I was trying to give birth to a watermelon. A big, ugly watermelon that didn't want to come out, and didn't look good once it finally was out.

But when I got clearer on who I was talking to, I no longer had to struggle to appeal to everyone. I could focus on a specific set of problems and desires, and think about what ONE set of people needed, instead of trying to cover EVERY business owner's wants and needs.

And when I embraced my own unique voice, skill set and personality, writing became quicker and easier, and I actually started to get more clients than I had when I was trying to imitate the greats.

So when you create your marketing materials, be yourself. Know what aspects of your product to talk about, but when you talk about them, do so in your own voice, even if you used to negatively compare that voice to others in your field.

When you know the basics of creating your Marketing Message, that knowledge sets you free. You can speak in your own voice with confidence, knowing that the right people will hear it and respond.

How do you determine what to talk about, so you can talk about it in your unique voice?

I want to give you a quick, easy way to determine what your potential clients need you to say in your marketing, while still giving you the freedom to say it in a way that suits your personality and your target audience.

To do this, I created a short, convenient ebook called the Marketing Message Guide. In this guide, you'll receive step-by-step instructions for determining what aspects of your product or services to talk about, and in what order to talk about them, so you can catch the attention of more of your readers, and turn more of them into clients.

You can download it and start using it within minutes, so you can start improving your client attraction system TODAY.

Click the button below to get the details and grab your copy.

About the Author: Stephanie

Stephanie is a writer and coaching program design specialist. She helps coaches to design lucrative and life-changing group programs, so they can help more people, make more money, and have more time freedom.