Any business coach or copywriter worth their salt will tell you that your copy is NOT about you. There’s nothing wrong with that – I’ve used that approach for myself and my clients with great results.
However, my recent personal experience and work with a client have told me otherwise. This client has a big heart, a big message and he is so fucking poetic it pains me to put him into the kosher mode of “customer oriented” marketing that every “guru” is teaching. I know that even if I lock him in that way of writing, it won’t last and he won’t be happy. If he cannot fully shine, then his business will not flourish and allow him to be himself to his full potential.
Frankly, as much as a part of me loves systems and “tried” whatever, more often than not those “tried and true” systems, blueprints or processes you’ve learned in 1000’s of training programs look practically the same” leave you with warm materials that are a few inches away from scratching the itch.
So here I am, challenging you to SUBVERT what you’ve been told and “belly button stare” to reach more customers!
“Belly Button Gazing,” if done correctly, can help you become a Natural in your marketing because it helps YOU shine. Great, huh?
I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The only thing I don’t like is the “unicorn and roses”/”happily ever after” scenes in the last 10 minutes. But every time I watch the movie I just sit on this part because they’ve earned it! (On the other hand, the “big foot little people day live” in the Hobbit lost me)
You have to EARN your moments to look at your navel.
In your communications, don’t start with “belly button gazing” content. Capture the attention of your readers/customers by talking about their pains and challenges, or writing about something that is relevant to them or resonates with them. Do it on them first. Make it about them second. And let it be about them third. When they’ve decided they like you and think you can help them, then you’ve earned your right to talk about yourself, your big idea, your philosophy, and maybe even learn about your process (a little).
Practice the “Art of Selective Navel Gazing”.
Even after you’ve earned your rights, you can’t spend the next 1000 words talking about yourself without regard for your readers/customers (or respect for their time and attention). You have to make your story relevant to them so they keep reading and see what you can do for them. Note that I said “belly button gazing moments” – moments, like sprinkles of pixie dust falling here and there. Not tomato paste and cheese on cheap pizza.
Use “belly button gazing” moments to unabashedly communicate your uniqueness and secret sauce without sounding “cheesy.”
This is the perfect opportunity for you to honk your own horn without looking out of place. Since you’re talking about YOU, it’s appropriate for you to tell people why you’re unique and what your secret sauce is, right? What makes you, YOU? Let your voice out and take a stand because this will make you stand out from other lukewarm marketing copy.
Bonus point: If you can relate the toot to the needs of your readers/customers, you will rock their world and sell your products.
Use “belly button staring” content to get more ideal customers.
When YOU appear in your content, it becomes a pretty effective “self-selection” tool for attracting your ideal customers. As a coach, people don’t just buy into your process, your knowledge (what can’t we Google these days?), or even the results you promise (how many weight loss coaches are there?). feel connected to the person they are working with. When you express and express your opinion in your communication, people who resonate with you will want to learn more about you. They will be “sold” even before you have your enrollment conversation.
The zen of navel gazing
I have always wanted to “Make art fun” in my business and marketing while serving my friends. I want our businesses to be the full expression of ourselves. To that end, I can’t hide my voice behind some formulaic, “boring” and lukewarm stuff. The challenge I set for myself and you is to do “belly button gazing” all the time without “belly button gazing” at all. How can you make your voice, your opinion and your philosophy permeate everything you publish in the world and, at the same time, make everything center on your readers and customers?