Massive Social Proof Fail

Up late tonight burining the midnight oil on some copywriting and what do I see before me?  The opportunity for a quickie lesson in saleswomanship, persuasion, and not-so-pretty human nature.

So there I was, reading my Twitter feed.  Someone I respect linked to a post which lands me smack-dab on the site of a marketing strategist I’ve never met (online or off) but whose name I recognize.

The strategist’s picture in the banner at the top of the page is bold, confident… maybe even a little sassy. Definitely client-attractive.  The landing page looks great, with lots of yummy benefits, so I click over to the About page, so I can learn more about who I’m talking to, so to speak.

After a strong intro, I learn that this person is “the secret consultant to [very important people]“ including moguls, celebrities and industry leaders.  “Wow,” I say to myself, “I can’t wait to read her testimonials.”

Except that there aren’t any. (Testimonials, that is.)  At least none that I can find.

Actually, I take that back.  There’s an endorsement, from THE leader in this strategist’s area of expertise.  Unfortunately, said leader doesn’t mention specific results.

“Hrm.  Maybe she has some on her blog,” I think, hoping.  I thumb through the first couple of pages.  No mention of clients, let alone results she has helped those clients get.

(Maybe she mentions them in her Twitter feed, but after frustration at the absence of a testimonials page and the blog thing, my patience has officially run out.)

I did find lots of comments about this strategist, such that she is cool and awesome and an amazing person.  I have no doubt that she is.  However, as a potential client coming to her website, I’m not really interested in cool.  I’m interested in whether or not she can really help me.

I want to write, “I have no doubt that she’s really good at what she does and has helped her clients make a lot of money.”  Because I really hope it’s true.  But you know what?  I can’t.  Because I do have doubt. Not because I want to, but because I just do.

She alludes to lots of clients and experience in her bio, yet doesn’t call a single one of them out by name. I mean, what other conclusion am I supposed to come to?  The secrecy of her consulting may indeed be a legitimate reason for not having testimonials, but as a potential client, it doesn’t satisfy my need for proof, and it certainly doesn’t help me out.

I don’t want to have doubt, but I do.  And that sucks.  For both of us.

These are the things that go through your potential clients’ minds.  Ignore them at your peril.

(Do you have a system for collecting testimonials that get you clients?  If not, you can get one here.)

When it comes to your mission, it’s not about you

If you’ve been reading my newsletter for a while, you know I’m willing to get open and vulnerable about my personal journey, even when it’s a little scary. Well, hang on to your garters, as my mom likes to say, because I’m about to “go there” again…

One of the things I’ve been working on this year is the bigger vision for my business and my life. You know, the answer to that question, “What’s the point of all this?”

What’s really cool is, after tons of inner work and patience and moving the “inner gunk” out of my system… that big picture is starting to emerge, and the details are pretty clear. (And I can honestly say that it was there all along – I’d just been stuffing it, in so many ways.)

What’s terrifying is: Now I have to actually go DO it.

It’s terrifying because it means speaking up, standing out, and taking a public stand for something I deeply believe in – something that others have been persecuted and even killed for. (I feel compelled to add here that “drama queen” is not my middle name. *grin*)

So there I was, whining to my coach. I can’t do this! This is too hard! I’m just getting used to teetering around in high heels over here! Cut me some slack, Jack!

And she just said, “Elizabeth, this is not about you anymore. This is about serving other people.”

So why am I sharing this private kick-in-the-pants with my tribe? Because I know I’m not the only one who needs to hear this message.

If you have the inspiration or urge to do something, create something, even if it seems crazy… that urge is not just you. Something is trying to emerge through you. You may not feel Divinely inspired, or that Spirit is tapping you on the shoulder. But something is trying to come through you, and it’s not about you.

Whatever that something is… chances are, it’s bigger than you (even if it doesn’t seem that way). Ultimately, it’s not about you. Each and every one of us has a choice: to push past all discomfort and step into this greater good… or not.

Last night, I was listening to a homestudy course from one of my new mentors, speaking coach James Malinchak. Scott Sullivan, founder and CEO of Caring 4 Kids, was speaking onstage. It’s very rare that a line in a homestudy course stops me cold, so to speak, but something he said did just that:

“Inside you is a plan, a purpose and a mission. And if you’re not getting every ounce of your potential out of you, you need to walk through the door of contribution and selfless service, and watch what shows up in your life.”

May we all find the courage within us to walk through that door. Bright blessings and massive success to you…

PS: To learn more on Scott and Caring 4 Kids, check out their website his Wikipedia entry and this video on YouTube.