The story that follows shows you what phenomenal results you can achieve once you start to truly appreciate yourself and/or your products and services. It comes from Bernadette Doyle, Ireland’s leading marketing maven. I liked it so much that I asked her permission to reproduce it here in its entirety for you to read, and she kindly agreed. So here’s the story:
Bernadette Doyle: “Let me tell you a quick story. A few years ago I heard of a store owner who had developed an interesting technique for increasing sales. Whenever trade slowed down, she would go around her store, touching the items that she sold, and silently blessing them. Whenever she did this, trade would pick up.
Not long after I heard that story, I was having a clear out and decided to sell some of my old books on Amazon. I listed the books and put them on the corner of my desk ready to send out when people bought.
Well this went on for about two weeks, but no orders came. I started to get irritated by the pile of unwanted books taking up valuable desk space. Every time I caught sight of the books I would groan inwardly.
Then I suddenly realised that I was doing the opposite of the enlightened store owner. To me the books were ‘unwanted’ and the world was agreeing with me! So I sat down and I picked up each book in turn. I thought about what I had learned from the book, and gave gratitude for it, then I imagined that book matching up with the next person in the world who would most benefit from it.
All six books sold out in the next 48 hours.
This experience got me thinking about how, for those of us who are selling ‘ourselves’, how powerful are thoughts are. When you’re selling yourself, every small judgment you have on yourself affects your value in the marketplace. The world will reflect back to you, with unerring accuracy, how much you value what you are selling. As long as I believed the books were ‘unwanted’, they were. As long as you believe that you’re ‘not good enough’ the market will agree with you.
In other words, learning to love yourself is a highly effective marketing technique! Louise Hay says, ‘When we really love and accept and approve of ourselves exactly as we are, then everything in life works. It’s as if little miracles are everywhere.’
Your self-love is a gift not just to yourself, but to everyone around you. That’s because a lack of self-love doesn’t just hurt you – it hurts the people around you too.
If you don’t truly love yourself, then your children, partner, family, colleagues and clients are probably already paying a price.
Today bless yourself, the talents you were born with, the skills you have honed, the experience you have earned. You deserve quiet glow of self-appreciation that warms you no matter what is happening in the world. You deserve an end to the self-criticism, self-blame, self-deprecation that keeps you small and hurts not just you, but the people around you too.
I told you this was an unusual marketing technique, but don’t be surprised that as you do this, new opportunities pop up in expected places. Just try it with an open mind and see for yourself!”
To view the original story, click here
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I love it! It’s interesting… as a copywriter, my job is to increase response. And what I’ve come to realize is that words–as powerful as they are–are only part of the equation.
We can only “create a space” for things to happen. By having a powerful, persuasive message, we merely creating a space. Everything else–the results, the response, etc.–is in the hands of the Universe, God, Spirit, whatever you wish to call it.
(BTW, Robert, you have a bug on your comment form that keeps me from editing what I’ve already written.)
.-= Joshua Aaron Stanley´s last blog ..Marketing Meditation: Let Your Copy “Flow” =-.
Hi Joshua, so glad you like it. Yes words are only part of the equation, a good product, service, business model, passion, sincerity, the satisfaction of existing needs and many more facets all have a part to play too. But words have a all important part to play in communicating these facets and more to the target audience.
As for the bug, thanks for telling me. I’ll see f I can replicate it and if I can see if I can track down the culprit. Thanks Joshua!
Great story and great blog Robert. It is SO true. I’ve seen in it in many of my clients, but most importantly in myself. There was a period I doubted myself, and allowed things going on around me in my private life to affect me. Guess what happened to sales when I turned that around!
I agree with the article. We are what we think.
Five years ago I left a highly paid job as a Co Director and was classed as disabled with acute RSI (great for a writer and marketer) I had a brief spell of feeling very down (no money and no clients and two arms that would not do as they were bidden!) before adjusting my thinking and realising that only I could move from pain to power.
After building my business with a full client order book, I made the decision to write my first book despite my writing arm beginning its slow descent into semi-working. On some long and painful days I visualised having a best seller, the audience applauding me at my launch and journalists queuing up to interview me.
So when I got umpteen rejections initially I took it on the chin but kept visualising success.
It is now happening big time in many ways. I tell myself I am a talented and bright woman still with a lot to learn and I rejoice in others’ talents.
Arms are as dodgy as ever but the power of my thinking is what keeps me striving to achieve even more! I want to be sat in an armchair at 80 boring my grand kids to death with how I did it!
You only have one precious life so don’t lead it in fear of rejection and settle for half measures, feeling peeved that you never took those steps to fulfilment. If you have a dream only you are stopping yourself from achieving it. Go for it! The universe is there to support you.
What an inspiring story Dee. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Hi Robert, what a great post – I’m sure that this then influences the kinds of clients that a business attracts – those that are a dream and a joy to work with versus those that are never happy with what you do for them. I’d rather have 1 of the former to 10 of the latter any day of the week.
Faith is a very powerful concept. It’s about time the MBA programs started implementing a more positive path to marketing! Thanks for the story, Robert!
Umair Kazi´s last [type] ..The Jews Did It- and other stories
I totally agree with this. Great stuff!
Hi Robert, many thanks for this post and it applies in the working environment too. I’ve worked with some incredibly talented people who were generally overlooked when praise was being given, promotions were on offer, parties were being announced etc. This story will benefit them too.
Hi Robert, in Hong Kong shop keepers bless their stock with the cash taken from the first sale of the day! They touch everything with the 1st amount of cash taken and it brings more sales! It works every day!
It’s all about positive mental attitude as far as I’m concerned.
Prayer is free too, so why not give it a shot! The vast majority of people pray for positive things, so again, positive thoughts bring positivity.
Life’s too short to think things won’t work out. It’s more fun being positive!
I hear all sorts of things like this. It does make one wonder. Science doesn’t have a way to explain it at present. But maybe it will in the future. Just look at what we know now compared to 100 years ago!
Robert, great that you have picked and shared this article.
More than 11 years ago, I made up my mind to go back to study as I wanted to become a speaker and trainer, all with the intention that my retirement age (when it comes) will be more exciting for me. I had then thought that if I can do this, I would be able to travel to many places to conduct my training programs and talks and enjoy my retirement age with what I like best to do… to be on the stage and speaking.
After several years of reaffirming that I should be able to develop a training program that would be different from the rest, I suddenly found that answer in my MBA’s final dissertation, and for the last 6 years I have been spreading my mindset transformation subject “Psychological Contract & Its Impact On Work Performance” and with a solution that work.
When I first started out, I visualized that I will be in high demand and that my participants will be amazed at my program’s solution and before I knew it, my training career got going and now I am traveling all over my country and staying at the best of places and meeting more and more people.
The best part is I am still another 6 years to reach retirement age!
Every human being should know and believe in the power of positive affirmation and creative visualization. I still face plenty of hurdles in the challenges that I undertake and I will quickly get over them with my own methods of positive affirmation and creative visualization.
My next step is to speak in other countries and my affirmation has started! Your choice of this topic has reminded me of my next action, thanks!
Stephen, that is a wonderful story, thank you so much for sharing it here. I hope everyone reads it. Have you now given up your former career?
This is wonderful! A much needed reminder! I think we seldom realize just how pervasive our ‘doubter’ thought can be, and articles like this remind us to pay attention!
Thanks!