Free Agent Underground: Hope sells, but pain changes

*Listen in the audio button at the bottom to Justin Lukasavige
and myself discussing this blog in our Free Agent Underground Show.

This is 100% truth for your business, and your life. You will be well served to conceptualize this right now if you expect your New Year's resolutions to be anything more than a nice little hope list, and your business (or future business) depends on you communicating these points.

First, your business. It can't merely state what the product or service IS and expect anyone to be attracted to it. That would be like you stepping onto a car lot and the salesperson walking over to a nondescript vehicle and announcing, "Here you go, it's a car."

You'll often hear marketers say that you must showcase the benefits, which is true. But often those benefits are in fact…hope. If you buy a Porsche, you don't do so for the horsepower and balance and traction. You do so for prestige. But that is hope. Hope that the prestige will actually translate to you being popular, getting attention and getting that hot date. So in the Porsche ads, you'll often see the surroundings of that hope. Check this Porsche ad out, it's 98% hope, 2% anything about the car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRbzJ0L1Zn8

With a book title, look at the New York Times bestseller list today. One title out of 35 with a somewhat negative title (see the list here). Hope and positive sells best, it's just been proven. If you've got a doomsday message, better wrap it in a great book cover with a hopeful sounding title or nobody will pick it up.

So in your business, if I go to your website, will I read something hopeful right away? You may need someone else to go there with that question in mind to give you unbiased feedback.

Now...pain. Another key thing that your business should loudly voice. What is the pain that your target market is feeling? State it, then showcase yourself or your product or service as the solution to that pain.

But personally, think about the things in your life that actually caused you to change? Was it a mere hope or desire…or pain, or the threat of pain? This is what I want you to contemplate as you think of any 'New Year's Eve Resolutions.'

Do you get marital counseling to make things better? Or finally act to salvage it when it's in a pit? (I did the latter)
Do you get fit because you want better health, or does it take a heart attack or diabetes or divorce to motivate you?
Do you get your finances in order because you know it's wise, or after it's dire and you're facing bankruptcy or homelessness?
Do you pursue your heart's longings now in the middle of life, or try to do what little you can late in life when you realize that time truly is short and your life thus far hasn't added up to much more than mere day to day survival?

2011 is upon us. Are you OK if you end up here next year with no changes to your life? If not, what do you want changed? And is the hope for it enough? Probably not. So start listing out the pains you will incur.

Regarding your work, I'll give you a start. If you are not working at what inspires you, and if you don't own it so you direct your life priorities and time, the pain you will incur will be thus:

Your spouse and children (if you have them) will be robbed of the whole you. An inspired, joyful, motivated, hopeful, purpose filled mate and parent. Instead they will get a fairly numbed workhorse. Someone who they see a bit in the morning and night who is distant, morose, confused, resigned and depressed. Bringing home a paycheck does not compensate for those character realities.
Your employer is getting gipped. Someone truly inspired would do a better job than you're doing. You're hijacking someone else's job, so they are losing out too.
The customer is getting gipped too, as you are not serving them well. Maybe you take longer and cause the product or service to cost more as a result. Or the product or service could be so much more but you only do what's necessary. It's not your employers fault for continuing to pay you, it's yours for continuing to take the position and money.
Humanity at large is getting gipped. As a whole, purpose filled and inspired person, there is no telling what you would give to this world when set free. While you just 'put in your time' we'll never know.
Your soul is dying. Some people will never know a greater cause. You do, or you wouldn't be reading this. Every day, week, month, year and decade that you don't take the responsibility and risk to step out in action and faith toward you're calling, your heart, soul, mind and being erodes away.

So go at it, list out some pains you know you'll incur if you don't step out to take action on change in your life. I'm doing it too...I'm right here with you.

*Listen below to Justin Lukasavige and myself discussing this in our Free Agent Underground Show.