I once did a strategy for a marketing agency I partnered with often. Part of my service is sending out surveys to their current and past customers. Unfortunately, one of the women on their customer list had also been my client in the past. When I was reviewing the answers to form the strategy, the person wrote that the most offensive thing a marketing company could do was spell something wrong or use poor grammar in one of their client's posts.
Well, of course, I thought she was speaking about me, and that's why she had not renewed. I felt devastated. Quickly after, my inner critic said, see, this is why you'll never have another client. It's the same reason why your teachers told don't write for a living. And by the time my inner critic finished, I assured myself, I'd be destitute and on the street. (No recovering drama mama to see here, folks.)
Eventually, my spiritual teaching kicked in, which made me realize I was allowing some contrast to suck me into a negative vortex. And that maybe, just maybe, I would want to respond to my inner voice and say thanks for sharing and trying to protect me. Still, my adult self would now be stepping in.
Instead, I asked myself some questions out of curiosity. Such as if maybe my past client isn't talking about you or your company. If she is talking about you, can you forgive? If she is speaking about you and your company, is it any of your business if she is not speaking to you? What can you do to improve if she is talking about your company?
The fact is that my writing has improved over the years, but it's because I use tools like Grammarly, and even Google Docs will occasionally correct spelling and grammar mistakes. I also hire editors because they see things I miss. And I'm okay with any tool that can help me better. And let's face it, I have freedom now that I don't do others' social media for them and write strategies instead, but even within those strategies, I may have a grammar error here and there.
Why am I sharing this information? Because many times, we are going to have things that throw contrast into our marketing, and looking at it with a curious mind instead of the monkey mind of the inner critic will make all the difference in the world.
Here are five ways contrast can throw a wrench into your marketing and some mindful tools to steer clear of the pitfalls of listening to your inner critic when it happens:
Pricing: You have had a terrific launch, and people are interested in your product or service, so they become curious about your price. And when they find out, they say things like, if you were authentic or cared, you would charge less. Or they say, I used to like you when your services suited everyone. If you are a nurturer or connector, those words could feel like someone stabbed you in the stomach. Your inner critic could start to have a feel day with you by asking things like, do you want to help or make money? Or it might dare to ask, whom do you think you are charging those prices with the world economy burning in flames?
If this happens, thank yourself for sharing and kindly remind yourself that I serve, I deserve. Also, curiously ask yourself, if I made sufficient money not to be stressed and run my business authentically, how could I serve my family and community better? Also, ask yourself if you could come up with drawn-out pricing plans instead of lowering your prices. There are always creative ways to help others, but it's important to remember you will never be poor enough to help out those who can't afford you, and you will never be priced high enough or help those enough that find everything you offer a great value.
Tactics: You spent hundreds to thousands of dollars on a coach or system that promised to be the best system to make six figures. And at the beginning, you started gung-ho. And then you worked diligently to make it happen, and crickets. Your inner critique may begin to say, I told you so that this would never work, and all this was shiny object syndrome. You feel disappointed and sometimes taken advantage of, but here is how to rethink this conundrum.
Forgive yourself for buying a tactic, thank the Universe for reminding you what you don't want, and go off and search for what you do want. And go back to what you bought and set up and ask yourself, are there components of the tactic that I did like? If not, thank the Universe and ask yourself, is it time to work with someone who will help me understand what will and won't work for me? Instead of utilizing someone else's tactic that physically drains me emotionally and my pocketbook without the results. The difference between a strategy and a tactic is that the strategy looks at your goals and helps you be the person who will reach them and then shares with you the best tactics that will work for you.
Social Media - I understand that the inner critic can have a field day by sharing their thoughts about what you do and don't do on social media. It may tell you things you are not visible enough, and the next breath, tell you, but if you were visible on this platform, maybe your business would work. It could say mean things like, you went on social media to write one post and then wasted your day getting lost; this is why your business isn't working. It could be relentless with all the things you do wrong, not enough, or not good enough. It may even tell you that you and your skills are not good enough and never will be because you don't understand technology. Whew, it could be exhausting, and add in the good old, it's all drama, and who wants to be part of that? Well, maybe, you should live in a cave and never go on again. Aye Carumba! It's exhausting how we have allowed this new inanimate tool, so many ways to crush our self-esteem.
So, how do you combat that? First, forgive yourself for everything you thought you had to know and don't know. And then repeat this mantra: I am on the correct social media channels with the right messages for the right people at the right time.
Remember, your job is to find a strategy that works for you and your company. The who and how is the Universe's job.
Online negativity: There can be a lot of negativity online, everything from trolls to your past clients that may leave a negative review or comment. And if you are an empathetic person, it could feel quite heavy. And for me, when I see criticism online, initially, I can go into defensive mama bear mode on what someone else has written. My job is to pause.
In that pause, I ask myself these questions about what I'm going to write next, is it true? Does it have to be said? Does it have to be told by me? Sometimes, I will have to let the negativity lie precisely where it is. If it's directly about me or my business, I can go back to the original part of this story, become curious about what they are saying, and see if I can improve. If not, I can tell some are sicker than others, say a prayer, or send healing vibes to the person and let it go. Because when I get bogged down by others' negativity, I shut myself off from helping others reach their highest good.
I hope you found these mindful marketing tips helpful to continue to be the person the Universe intended you to be. If you would like to discuss how to align marketing strategies with you, your business, and your customer, please reach out, and let's have a free clarity call. https://wendymanganaro.as.me/claritycall
