
Last week in my public speaking class, someone gave me a hard time after one of my talks, scolding me for saying to the group that I wanted to help them live their dreams. She thought that I was assuming that they were not, already, living their dreams.
So in my next talk, I addressed them as if they were already successful, and I gave them ideas for increased success.
It worked - they liked it.
I thought I'd try the same idea when I told everyone about my Meet Your Future: Immersion class tomorrow and Monday, just to see what happened.
It didn't work. How many people will tell you their ad campaign didn't work? Let me tell you, not many. But I will, because what I learned was important not just for me but for you, too.
Here's the thing. When my speaking group told me they felt insulted that I assumed they weren't already living their dreams, I thought, they're right. I can't assume anything but the best of them.
Because if I do, then I'm actually creating them to be less-than - less successful, less prosperous, less-whatever - than they are. I'm creating an I-am-less-than mindset in them. A less-than vacuum. Then, when they see my solution, they will be sucked into this vacuum, this less-than feeling, by wanting something to fill it up. They will be lured into my solution.
Is this honorable? Is this supportive? No. It doesn't honor or support the reader's mindset. It brings it down a notch - or more - until they want something they perhaps don't even need. Effectively lowering their mindset to an "I need" vibration.
Does it work for the majority of marketers to do this? You bet!
Do I want to continue to support this mindset? No.
Even though I probably didn't get my idea across in the Meet Your Future: Immersion class email to you, I still would prefer to speak to you - and my speaking group - in a way that you feel **already** supported, not less-than. The only way to do that is to assume that everyone is already where they want to be, already as successful as they can be in that moment, already having received everything possible for them at that moment they read or hear my ideas.
This is very definitely not how we are encouraged to think of ourselves, is it?

