When something goes wrong…

I read a story this week about an experience this gentleman had at the airport. He was waiting for his flight to Atlanta. And they were going to be boarding soon, the previous pilot and crew were disembarking, when the pilot detoured and went over to the check-in desk and grabbed the microphone.

He apologized to everyone in the gate area for their flight being delayed. And to not blame the flight attendants or airline staff. There was a malfunction that had to be fixed. (He did go on to explain it for a minute so they understood the severity of his decision.) The most important thing he said was that it was his call to make for the safety of all the lives that would be on board this airplane. Once he was finished speaking, everyone in the boarding area clapped for him.

Hmmmm.

I really like this story because it speaks to the heart of when something goes wrong and the typical way most companies, leaders, marketers, airlines, corporations, and even coaches do one of three things when something goes wrong:

Hide behind scripts
Blame someone else
Spin the truth to protect themselves

Instead, this pilot did something profoundly regulating to the nervous system:

He broke an unspoken psychological pattern that most people are exhausted by: He told the truth clearly, calmly, without manipulation, corporate speak, or pretending people were too stupid to notice reality.

The deeper part of this story is that people were clapping for the emotional experience of finally having someone be honest and tell them what’s really happening.

The pilot restored trust and congruence because they already knew the plane was being delayed, and the incongruence was the uncertainty and ambiguity of the situation. Plus, the expectation that they were being managed, placated, or even possibly lied to.

What I’m sharing about incongruence also spills over into your business and maybe even your personal life.

The reality of what’s happening in this country today is that there’s A LOT of incongruence between what’s said and the actions taken.

Then you look at the world of marketing, and I see fake urgency, scarcity, overly enthusiastic, and face intimacy and perfection.

Your dream clients are much more sophisticated buyers now. They’ve probably been through their share of launches, funnels, pressure campaigns, upsells, and manipulative “trust hacks.”

That’s why I’m always beating the Soulful Marketing drum. The people who want to invest in your products, services, or more just want the honest truth from you.

Just like the pilot, when someone finally tells the truth, here’s what I have for you, why it matters, and the impact it came to make on your work/life, that’s when their nervous system exhales a big sigh. They perk up and are more likely to listen and even invest in your services.

The crux of it is that people want to feel seen, heard, emotionally safe, and that they matter.

This matters, and when you use soulful marketing tactics, you’re reducing emotional threats inside the marketing experience.

Knowing that during this time in the world, people are feeling more emotionally exhausted. If you have an offer and are selling something, the more authentic, honest, and transparent you can be, the easier it will be for your dream clients to say yes.

Hands at your back.
Always. 🙂
Shannon

P.S. This week, I wanted to try to get back to my Soulful marketing roots and share something that will help you and your business. To get back to the messaging and marketing part of my 3 M’s (Mindset, Messaging & Marketing). Let me know if this was helpful. Just leave a comment; I’m all ears.

Weekly Photo

Here’s the spillway for the Sacramento River, where the water comes from the Shasta Dam. This time of year, spring, is when all the snow is melting from the mountains. So there’s more water, and they need to periodically release it. I’ve not walked this area and seen the spillway open before. It’s kind of cool, and there’s A LOT of water coming down. You can see the undercurrent and faster water flow. So now all the farms south of us are getting their water replenished to keep feeding their crops of walnut trees, almond trees, artichokes, grapes, and more.
This is a pic of Mt. Shasta from our road trip a week ago, down to Southern CA. I like it cuz it almost looked like it was floating.
Alice and I, before heading out to dinner in Carmel. I do love the cooler temps and being so close to the Pacific Ocean.
This is what Carmel’s early mornings look like: mostly cloudy and breezy until the sun finally shows up.
You know me and feathers, see them and heart-shaped rocks everywhere. When I see it, I instantly feel like it’s a universal sign that I’m loved and cared for by people in this physical space and beyond it.
Snapped this photo of the ocean and of Alice down the trail. If you’ve never come out this way, I’d highly recommend a trip to San Francisco and get down to Carmel, and Big Sur.
This is not my usual grand scene for this space. Take a closer look at this. It was really interesting to me. See how many Turkey vultures you can find. (I found 5, although one is cut off a bit.) I’ve seen them do this many times. They love all nesting together in a big tree. And they spread their wings to warm up, dry their feathers, and conserve energy before they fly.

P.S.S. Whenever You’re Ready: Here are 3 Ways I can make an impact on creating greater success in your business using marketing that’s aligned with your mission and values without feeling like you’re selling your soul.

1. Make Money Now Sheet – It’s one of the bonuses in my 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. I wanted to give it to you for free to help you create more success.

2. Love Books Like I Do? – I’m always reviewing the best nonfiction books – Where Buddha Meets Business.

3. Get my proven 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. It gives you the framework you need to implement authentic and connected marketing using online customer experiences and launching your products, services, or courses. It will help you create greater success.

It’s a simple system, especially if you love to read like me. There’s no video or audio. Plus, you get my proven templates, tools, and worksheets, all with tremendous value. And I’m pricing it incredibly low so it can be more accessible to more people. 🙂

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I appreciate your sharing. Thank you!

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