How to reject the lure of the dark side, embrace the simplicity of authentic marketing.

Read more thoughts on the art of communicating week-daily at https://michaelgerharz.com/blog

Mentioned in this episode:

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New book

Welcome back to irresistible communication.

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Two minutes, twice a week, no nonsense

advice on leadership communication.

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Surely you've seen the dark

side of marketing, haven't you?

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That dark alley I like

to call truth shaping.

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It's where the truth gets a cosmetic

make-over to fit a marketing narrative.

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Those marketers exaggerate the pros,

hide the cons, and sometimes right out

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invent things all to shape a truth that

slides into a compelling marketing story.

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But at what cost?

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These businesses spend vast resources

to craft irresistible promises

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for products that don't hold up.

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But when ultimately reality hits and

the product doesn't meet the buyers

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expectations, frustration is the result.

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Sadly, that leads the dark side to

make even bolder promises, which leads

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to more frustration, which leads to

a vicious cycle spiraling downwards.

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Great marketers understand

that it's the other way around.

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The ones who don't just see through

this facade, but act on a deep believe

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that a virtuous circle is within reach.

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The realm where products aren't just

packed with hollow promises, but

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resonate with authenticity, solving

real problems for real people.

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They break the mold of

conventional marketing.

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Instead of tailoring the truth to

fit the product, they start with an

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irresistible promise and shape the

product to live up to that promise.

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They try harder.

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It's a reversal that's as

simple as it is profound.

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The result?

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Products that are loft.

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In my experience, the best products

are those that customers love even

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more when they know the complete truth.

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Products that are irresistible not because

they sound so, but because they truly are.

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They might not be perfect.

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But they are real.

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They are needed.

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They solve a problem.

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And that's what makes them irresistible.

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This approach sheds the need for

a cosmetic makeover of the truth.

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It demands merely a true story

told in plain English about a

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product that solves a problem.

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Reject the lure of the dark side,

embrace the simplicity of authentic

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marketing, and witness how your

communication transitions from

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persuading harder to resonating stronger.

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Keep lighting the path!

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And share it with a friend!