How to Flip Your Best Ideas to Freshen Up Stale Content

April 14, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan 1 Comment

Some of the best content is written by thought leaders with a distinct point of view on a subject.

I’ll give you an example. What do you think of when you hear the name Gary Vaynerchuck? Hustle. Brene Brown? Vulnerability. John Maxwell? Leadership.

The reason people voraciously consume opinionated, and highly “niche-y” content is because it offers such a clear and compelling reason to practice, think or try something in a specific, detailed way. Along the way, these content-creating thought leaders even build systems and communities out of their ideas. They get invited to give TED talks. Their methods go viral and they become known in their industry for a unique perspective.

Now, flip these thought leaders’ mantras.

What would people think if Gary Vee pondered taking the slow road? If Brown advised you to be balls out brazen, and admit no weakness? If Maxwell instead taught his people how to be good followers?

And what about you? What would it look like if you went against your own grain? If just once, you contradicted yourself?

I’m throwing out this curveball today because of an article that sparked an idea that was new to me. It inspired a thought that went against everything I preach about building an email list and creating free opt-in offers. It made me think about content creation in a new way, one that could potentially help my clients reach a broader audience.

The problem is that this enlightening idea contradicts certain beliefs I’ve held for a long time.

Uh oh.

Has that ever happened to you? You’re rolling along, perfectly happy with your established mindset about a certain topic, when all of a sudden you get a glimpse of a logical, and opposite reality?

This is a problem for a lot of people, whether they consider themselves thought leaders or not. As a culture beholden to a range of personal beliefs, we expect a one-sided perspective from the most dominant figures. In fact, it’s unpopular these days to embrace ambiguity. We expect the loudest, most distinct voices to race to extremes. A single-minded point of view is memorable, at the very least, and it can be the glue for a following of true believers.

What would happen if you were caught in careful consideration of a dissenting point of view? Would your readers flee if you openly explored all opposing opinions? What if your next paragraph began, “On the other hand…”

I wonder if your most loyal followers and readers would think you’d sold out, become lazy, or deluded? Probably not. Chances are, people who read your blog or listen to your podcast, etc. are there because you offer an interesting point of view in a given field. They enjoy your deep and thoughtful exploration of your subject matter. You’ve carved out a space for yourself by focusing on developing content with purpose and clarity. (At least that’s the best recipe for success if you want to plant a flag in your corner of the market or the Internet.)

But I’m playing Devil’s Advocate on this today. If you really want to explore a topic, why not turn one of your long-held beliefs on its head, and try to uncover a different angle?

If you think that might be a fun project, then read on. I’ll give you seven great reasons to explore an alternative viewpoint on something you profess to believe, and then you can decide for yourself. You might discover a worthy and desirable outcome by taking the less traveled road once in awhile.

Even if it’s just as an experiment, contradicting your usual stance and arguing the other side could help you solidify your established thought leadership position.

But first, you may be wondering, what was this firmly held belief that took a tumble?

Stephanie Flaxman, an editor at Copyblogger, recently wrote:

Content marketers can create mini packages for their audience members to share with their friends.

For example, you could offer a beautiful PDF as a free download that summarizes who your site is for and how you help them, with some snippets of particularly useful advice. You’d then encourage your visitors to share the PDF rather than just share your website link.

It’s a more direct way to show what you’re all about, rather than hope a first-time visitor immediately clicks on the most engaging parts of your website.

Now, you’re a savvy content marketer, so you already know that one method of building an engaged following is with content that’s good enough to trade for an email address. You offer a freebie in exchange for subscription to your list. That way you don’t lose your interested tribe members, but rather build a relationship through email.

But this one tip got me thinking that you could easily create content designed to find people who might not normally follow you. The big difference is that you’d rely on folks to share it with their tribes freely, no strings attached… not even an email address.

A good-looking, downloadable PDF carries a bit more clout than an article or blog post. So if you can design it to appeal to someone who might not normally subscribe to your list, yet still offer a compelling reason to view it, then you’ve opened up your world to a whole new segment of people.

This idea flies in the face of the age-old tenet to always be building your list. Instead, it’s geared more toward an SEO goal of driving more traffic. This strategy relies on influencers in an overlapping audience to spread your content to a new-to-you audience for your website. Once they’re on your site, then it’s up to you to create an offer to grow your list — something juicy that appeals to this new audience segment.

While this idea may not be rocket science, it’s something I hadn’t considered before. In fact, it goes against what I’ve preached and practiced for years about email marketing.

And I love it.

The takeaway: Keep your eyes wide open for opportunities to read between the lines of established practices in your field, and then flip them upside down with gusto. Really dissect these new, foreign ideas. Open wide your thought leadership eyes and see if they can pass muster. Put them through the paces and see how they stack up against your deep-seated (perhaps stale?) beliefs.

Newsflash>> In some circles this is called critical thinking. A-ha!

To encourage you to flip your best ideas upside down, let’s move on to the reasons you should do it more often.

The most obvious reason is that you will keep your content fresh as a daisy for both old and new followers, but there are seven “sub-reasons” to venture into this uncharted territory:

You might find that advocating for the other side is fun. It breaks boredom, helps you overcome discomfort, and makes you feel lighthearted and brave. Breaking away from the rut you’re in is just plain refreshing.
You broaden your audience. Maybe you’ve been so used to saying the same old thing that you’ve neglected a group of people who can’t find you. Finding and exploring a different angle of an established practice, idea or policy is a great way to speak to a new audience and widen your appeal. Exploring doesn’t mean you have to marry your oddball idea. You’re just turning stones over. But you might be amazed by the people and ideas you bump into in the process.
The results of thinking deeply from an alternative viewpoint may surprise and delight you. Creativity sometimes falls flat, but it’s always an education.
The new results may surprise you. You may find that they have validity you had not considered before. You might find that you extend the foundations of your platform, or that you discover and share nuances no one else is talking about. Or…
The opposite could occur. You may decide that the flip side is hogwash. This is actually good news, because it means that you’re able to reinforce the solid ground upon which you’ve built your long standing belief. (And now you’ll have proof to back it up.)
It’s always a good idea to challenge yourself. When things get too easy, you should be very afraid. If there’s anyone more obnoxious than “the smartest person in the room,” I can’t think of whom. Don’t be that guy. If you think you’re that guy, you should probably take a long vacation or switch careers altogether. Never get comfortable.
I’m going to say it. It’s also good to challenge others sometimes, too. Without being offensive, start a discussion. Get your reader or listener to start connecting points of light within her own mind, based on her experiences. Then ask her to share them with you and your community. IMO, discussion is a blessing. And as a thought leader, it’s your job to start interesting discussions.

Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.

~Chinese Proverb

Of course, there are times when it’s not in anyone’s best interest to go against the grain, just for the sake of mixing things up. I’m thinking of physical laws like gravity, biological reality, etc. Laws in certain established fields should be respected, as should others’ values. Use your best judgment when people’s livelihoods, their human dignity, and good health are concerned. Why should I even have to mention thoughtfulness? To cover my bases.

And you should cover yours, too. Just because you have a platform to stir the pot to freshen up stale content, doesn’t always mean you should.

A final note: a good debater or trial lawyer can argue the case against her own. You don’t have to necessarily go all in, heart and soul, when you flip your ideas. Fresh content naturally flourishes when you explore a topic thoroughly, like a pig digging for truffles in the woods. When the time’s right, you can always come back home.

Can you think of ways to overturn long standing beliefs in your field to broaden your audience or keep your content fresh? Please feel free to share your ideas in the comments below.

Three Ways to Fulfill The Great Expectations of Your Customers

April 3, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

For content marketers, the phrase “Know, Like and Trust” is a common objective. Companies and brands wants to achieve this goal by establishing a benchmark of familiarity with their audience, based on common values and reliability.

And it’s paying off.

These days, more people who see ads believe the ads are honest, according to this survey. In other words, 11% more people are likely to trust an ad they see today than the percentage of people in a similar survey just a few years ago.

What’s going on here? Everyone knows that advertisers try to get your attention in order to sell you something, and people don’t like to be sold to, right?

Not necessarily. Consumers don’t want to be “sold to,” but they do like to buy, especially when they’re confident they have all the information they need to make a decision.

Consumers expect nothing less than to know, like, and trust the brands they buy and the companies they do business with; and advertisers are rising to the occasion to meet consumers when and where they they’re needed. They’re also placing ads where viewers expect, tolerate, and maybe even welcome them.

Most importantly, advertisers are supporting those ads with appropriate content.

I believe this is a testament to the efforts of content creators and marketers to provide their readers with valuable content. Since useful content builds trust, the payoff multiplies for companies that run ads in conjunction with good content. They earn their customers’ trust and trust in their brand grows over time.

Ironically, institutions that used to enjoy the benefits of blind trust have fallen from grace in the eyes of the average person. Is it any surprise that the three top losers in this poll — those whose perceived honesty plummeted — are government, which doesn’t advertise except in the case of isolated and, ideally, nonpartisan public service announcements; religion, an entrenched institution whose reputation precedes advertising; and the media, which is undergoing the most disastrous fall from grace since the public’s mainstream addiction to it.

Now it’s not institutions, but rather companies and organizations that people hold to higher trust standards. People go online for an experience that quickly validates and satisfies their expectations.

Because your audience’s expectations are high, you too must send messages that complement and seamlessly integrate with your short-term goals, your users’ or customers’ engagement levels, and your overall brand objectives.

How do you satisfy your audience’s expectations of honesty in advertising? Let’s look at some companies and organizations that place ads that cultivate familiarity, likability and trust, and find out what they have in common. People EXPECT their favorite brands and people to do the following.

Send a consistent message.

Make an effort to keep your content coffers full and on schedule with the help of a content calendar like CoSchedule. If you blog, set a schedule with content topics that predict and speak to your audience’s inquiries. If you host podcasts, roundtables, or Twitter Chats, make sure you keep to a set schedule and format. Make use of the online tools available and fold them into your routine.
Consistency is actually easier to achieve when you allow your content themes to breathe. Some people fear they’ll lose their main audience if they stray from their core topic, but I prefer to think of content as an opportunity to play variations on a theme, like a jazz orchestra might take turns noodling around a tune. A diverse variety of messages within a theme enables you to connect with people in different ways, which goes a long way toward growing a diverse audience with a common interest.
Speaking of diversity, remember that people prefer to consume content in different forms. Your audience is comprised of readers, listeners, and viewers. Consistency doesn’t mean static. Try to provide content that satisfies all the ways people learn: auditory, visual, and sensory. Advertisers that offer a range of content in the form of images, videos, podcast, and blogs reach more eyeballs.
Invite others to weigh in. The voices of fellow experts, loyal partners, users, fans and influencers can make for pretty awesome content. A content manager at Blackbaud, Madeline Turner, asks nonprofit experts to chime in on using technology to further their mission, and pulls off a useful and interesting article for the company’s community of software users. It’s also a great opportunity to ask for their input, too.

Understand your audience.

Data and analytics: The topic of privacy is on many advertisers’ and marketers’ minds this week as old FCC privacy rules are likely to stay in effect for the time being. For some, this means that that it’s possible to cross over from trying to understand an audience to almost (ok, literally) spying on them. Internet service providers with access to consumers’ browsing habits will be able to sell that data to advertisers. That’s edging in on creepy (albeit inevitable) if you ask me, but it’s not what I’m talking about here. For many marketers, a worthy goal is attracting the right people, re-engaging current customers and staying relevant in their eyes.
- One way to transparently keep your finger on your customer’s pulse is to have an opt-in process in place and a reason to monitor and engage with your audience’s actions. Willing participation translates into natural trust. If your community already knows that you operate above a certain self-imposed level, then there are no surprises when they see your ads. Simply asking for permission reaps great returns in trust.
- Another increasingly common trust building practice is to notify your audience of how your collect data. Most websites use cookies and hidden pixels to track where their readers have been and what they are looking for on your website. Some sites go the extra mile to notify their visitors. You’ve seen the bar across the bottom a your screen telling you ‘This site uses cookies to improve your browsing experience,” or similar verbiage. That company cares about transparency and values your trust.

Feedback: Getting and giving feedback is difficult. At least it doesn’t come naturally for most of us who were taught to “be nice,” says Kim Scott, author of the book Radical Candor. If processing personal feedback is confusing, how much more so for a large company with multiple products, services and features! Making sense of hundreds of incoming opinions and questions can overwhelm a service team and muddy their efforts to deliver a great experience. In Evernote’s Taking Note podcast, Gerald Hastie shares how the company manages feedback from its community of users. Practices include surveys, user groups, and community questions and answers. All that information is useless if you don’t use it to improve your users’ experience. Asking is better than guessing when your goal is to fulfill the expectations of your customers. Trust grows when you ask and follow through with knowledge gleaned from hard-earned feedback.

Accessibility: Sometimes the best content is happening right now. If you’re not around, you’ll miss it completely. You’re able now to have real time conversations on social media. Anyone with a phone can host a get together. Storytelling on Facebook Live, Instagram, and SnapChat allows you to meet your audience and instantly harvest feedback on topics your audience favors. Watch a couple minutes of Mari Smith and a roomful of Social Media Marketing world attendees geeking out on Facebook Live with Facebook training. Then imagine how you (or someone in your group who’s a natural like Mari!) could put this easy-to-use technology to work for your company or organization.

Be human.

Effective engagement is inspired by the empathy that develops simply by being human.

~ Brian Solis

If you want humans to engage with you, then you have to act like a human. Some say the quickest way to gain trust is through vulnerability. While you don’t have to spill your coffee on yourself to show you’re human, you might share where you’ve learned a lesson, let people know you have a life outside of work, or even act a little goofy sometimes.

Authenticity sets you apart. Don’t try to be something you’re not. One of my favorite cartoons shows a dog in 1994 telling another dog, “Hey look, Roger, on the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog.” The next frame show the same dog, many years later saying, “Hey look, Roger, on the Internet, everyone knows you’re a dog.” You can fool some people some of the time, but if you neglect the first two trust builders (and the great expectations of your audience), you’re sure not going to fool them for long!

Own up to mistakes. The sad truth is that eventually you are going to trip up. Most of us humans fail in a less public way, but the shame we feel is huge. Maybe you’ll never release a sucky version of your software (Windows XP), hand someone the wrong envelope (Price Waterhouse), or make too-thin yoga pants and charge $98 for them (Lululemon). But a mistake you’re personally invested in probably feels just as buzzworthy.

Coming back from failures, even really dismal ones, feeds the fertile ground of growth. It actually makes us strong and brave.

In your personal AND professional life, there are times — and it may feel like years — when you’re facing into a strong wind. Remember that everyone gets their share of trouble. In the world of content marketing, braving mistakes is a great way to build connections with your best, most loyal fans.

If you’re taking chances and developing just outside of your comfort zone, then criticism is inevitable. How you handle your critics makes you memorable in the eyes of your audience (because they’re all watching, you know). Jay Baer is a proponent of “embracing your haters to keep your customers.” A bad experience shared online can unravel years of positive work and appreciation. Publicly setting things right with calm, humor, and even a degree of urgency, you’ll probably rebound with integrity and resilience; possibly even winning increased loyalty from your customers. Most people want to cheer a comeback than watch a house of cards fall.

Share your wins and strengths as well as your challenges. Even in good times, the head-spinning immediacy and publicity of social media may make you want to sit out for a spell. But your audience expects your presence.

Try to stay in the moment, and don’t overthink transparency. The sooner you deal with reality the better. A fortress is a dangerous place. When all eyes are on you and you’re advocating for yourself or your company, avoid telling your version of the story. Focus instead on what you learned. Never forget that while people may be curious about how a blunder went down, your customer mainly wants to find out what’s in it for him.

Relax. Breathe. Shake it out. Lose the uppity voice, the jargon, and inclination to pontificate. Not that you’re guilty of any of that, of course!

One easy way to develop a natural, human voice in your content is to read your content out loud, preferably to another human. (Dogs don’t count.)

It’s a process, but it’s one you can easily get good at, if you strive to know, like and trust your customers the same way you want them to know, like and trust you.

Remember your objective. To earn your customer’s trust and fulfill their expectations, you first have to be there, with consistency and an understanding of their needs and desires.

In the end, content marketing is a two-way street.

How To Make Your Customer Desire Your Content At Just The Right Time

March 13, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

I have a friend in e-commerce who assigned his Paypal alert — “You just received a payment” — it’s own specific sound. When his phone makes that sound, he knows his website has just made a sale.

“That’s my favorite sound,” he says, and while it’s wonderful making a sale, especially to a brand new customer, we all know it’s not as easy as that “DING” would imply. There was a complex process that took place before the customer clicked the BUY button and entered her credit card number.

For a professional in real estate, or any complex sale that hinges on relationship, you don’t get a sweet chime on your phone. It’s a little more involved than that, and the paydays are less frequent.

In both cases, however, the purchase of a digital product and the purchase of a house, the process generally follows a time-honored formula, beloved by all sales people. Maybe you’ve heard of it.

The AIDA formula is the process by which a customer moves from total unawareness to the moment where she takes action and buys the product.

Your content’s job is to track and speak to the customer at all four general points of the AIDA formula. Ultimately, that action you want them to take is to make a purchase, however in today’s marketing environment, you have to consider any action taken – a click to download an infographic, a view of a video, an agreement to participate in a live chat – a step in the right direction toward a sale.

In a sales relationship, your content has a purpose. Your goal is to create and share content tailored to help answer, explain, or reveal new information needed to get to the next step.

AIDA is the acronym for the customer’s state of motivation, as she gets closer to a decision to purchase:

Attention
Interest
Desire
Action

It’s almost springtime in North America (if not now, then soon!), so it’s fitting to focus on DESIRE as it relates to your buyer’s decision-making process.

It’s also the season when home sales start to pick up. It’s not uncommon to see several open house signs in any neighborhood you visit. What is it about spring?

The Season of Desire

Until spring actually arrives in full color, it might be nature’s ugliest season. The remains of winter reveal bare branches, gray skies, melting, sooty snow banks, and oozing mud everywhere. Parking lots, soccer fields, bare patches in the lawn… all of the exposed parts of the ground are dark and slick with mud.

But underneath all that sledge and rotting decay are the seeds of beauty and growth. With a little sun, the mud will harden and plant life will shoot through the earth, forcing it’s mighty way into the world with wild abandon and limitless excess. In what seems like an instant, the gray mess turns vibrant, green and new.

It’s nature’s season of desire, and it’s a great way to think of the term, Customer Desire. It’s your customer’s need for the right message as they move from casual interest to a decision to act.

Desire is the tipping point in a decision to buy.

Desire is a high contrast state of being. It’s the moment when people realize they lack something they want.

And once they decide they want it, they want it now.

If we look at desire from the lens of a love story (take the opera Aida, for example — I couldn’t resist), the best love stories take place amidst war or conflict. The potential for loss due to circumstances beyond our control make the desire for the beloved that much more intense. On a lesser scale, your customer is in the throes of a similar heightened emotion. They’re feeling a lot of tension, maybe even with an elevated sense of passion and drama.

Some of these thoughts may be swirling in their heads at this point in the buying cycle:

It’s now or never.
I’ve waited long enough for this.
This problem is only going to get worse if I don’t do something.
The change is exactly what I/we need right now.
This is what I’ve been searching for.
This makes sense to me. Everything is becoming clear to me.
This has now become a priority.

Interesting how those same thoughts could belong to a tiny green (personified) shoot as it finds its way through the earth to the sun?

Remember this desire phase comes just before the action step.

It’s like pulling back a spring or rubber band to the point just before you release it. That pent-up emotion will find a way to push through. Just like that seedling uncurling from the dark earth.

The desire to change must be greater than the comfort of staying the same.

I’ve heard it said a different way: “The desire to change must be greater than the desire to stay the same.” But that’s wrong. No one desires to stay the same. No one desires stasis.

Humans — at least the ones who buy, invest, contribute, and/or actively make a change in their lives because they are finally so uncomfortable that they have to change.

Desire can only be linked to something that causes or relates to change.

So as you decide what kind of content to use to reach the folks who are feeling desire, you have to remember that you are addressing a different person than the one who is just becoming aware that he has a problem. You may try to reach this person on different channels, possibly through different social media sites, and certainly with a more urgent, deeper message.

Now that you know the types of thoughts they’re having concerning the issue, you will want to make sure you’re providing the right information they need to make a decision. The glut of information on the Internet causes a consumer both confusion and empowerment, which is another source of tension you can ease with helpful content and a consistent presence.

One thing’s for sure; once a person reaches the point of desire, they’ll begin to research solutions.

Take note, however. Yours may not be the only resource they consult, even if you were the one that got their attention in the first place.

Because the desire phase immediately precedes the action phase, the one who gets the sale/listing is often the one who’s been most helpful and trustworthy at the Desire stage. But not always…

The sale or contract is naturally always awarded to the one who’s there at the end, or the Action phase. If you’ve done all the work to groom a buyer through all the phases of a purchase, you must never take it for granted that the business is yours. You must be there at the Action phase. But that’s another topic for another time…

Now picture yourself seated at a table with this person. Hopefully you’ve already done the buyer persona work, because you need to describe him or her accurately. You’ve discussed all the issues related to the choices before them. In terms of content this means you’ll offer different types of content from what you showed in the Attention and Interest phases. You’ve already anticipated specific questions they might have.

Now you’re getting into the nitty gritty – and of course showing lots of benefits to working together or using your product.

Some types of content you’d send in the Desire phase would be:

Case studies of satisfied customers.
Papers and stats that clarify distinctions between you and everyone else.
Introductions to people they would be working with on your team.
Steps they need to take, as they get ready for the next step — the purchase, listing, inspection, deal, etc.

Can you see why you would never send this type of content to someone who isn’t ready to receive it?

Someone who is just beginning to learn about your industry, service or product needs a series of broader, less explicit content. You don’t want to scare them or come off as too pushy, either. Consumers are sophisticated researchers, and when they decide to act, they will make moves indicating that.

Be sure your content strategy allows the customer to take small steps in your direction. Things like chat boxes and personal webinar opportunities, even a simple tick box letting them know you will call them at their convenience; all go far toward educating your customer and allowing them to feel like they are in control of their decision making process and ultimately, their purchase.

Possibly the most important thing associated with this desire phase is just being there. Remember that coiled spring. You want to be there, ready, when that coil is released.

The Desire phase is when you reach out and offer the most personal experience to date.

Is it appropriate to make a phone call and listen to your customer’s concerns? Send a personal email? Make sure your content marketing team and sales team are coordinated now (that’s another blog post, for sure) so that when your customer is ready with desire, you can assist them with a clear call to action.

An effective content marketing plan includes content for all phases of the AIDA formula.

By the time your customer reaches the desire phase, she will have probably been exposed to earlier content of yours, and will recognize you and your brand. She probably has a sense of how you stand out and why your offer is unique. “Desire” is the moment to wow her. If you do, you may hear that lovely sound that tells you your content strategy is working: The DING that alerts you of another sale, or in the case of a more complex deal, at least a move by your client in the right direction.

People in real estate don’t necessarily get that satisfaction. The point of sale is less frequent, as I’ve mentioned before. The sale is just as gratifying (more so!) even though you might not hear bells when you get a house under contract.

you can call me flower — “You can call me flower.”

Would you like to get a clearer picture of your business’ content marketing strengths — and places where you could be wasting time and money? You probably already have a lot of pieces in place to deliver great content to your perfect audience.

Find out by taking The Content Quiz… It’s a fun and quick way to spot gaps where you can step up your digital marketing strategy. My treat. Contact me and I’ll send it right out.

How To Hook Your Readers With Specifics

March 9, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Getting to the point — the real point — with specific details is the only you can bring clarity to a problem your customer may be having.

Insightful copywriting shows you understand your customer by revealing a new level of depth in an issue they might not be able to see clearly.

A guy called in to the Kim Komando show once with a complaint. He was looking for an IT solution for his school district, and all his IT people were scratching their heads because they couldn’t solve it within their tight budget.

Kim’s answer was pretty simple. First she sympathized with the prices, and then explained how she also always gets sticker shock when her IT people at the show reveal a solution that seems over the top. She says, “How can personal laptops do all this stuff for consumers, but then when the show needs it on a larger scale, we can’t just buy 10 laptops and string them up together and make them pull their weight?” I’m paraphrasing, but she ended with this: “Well, they can’t. That’s just not how it works. This stuff is expensive.”

See, the caller was comparing his imagined solution to the wrong thing, He couldn’t accept the price because he was comparing the solution to a consumer’s price, not a B2B, or institutional price.

He was frustrated because in his mind he assumed it was an IT problem instead of a budget problem. He had simply framed the problem incorrectly.

Tim Robbins’ Ultimate Power is a powerful read for content marketers and copywriters. If you havent’ read it, or you think it might be too “out there,” I challenge you to give it a try. Our minds try to hold us back from success by filling our consciousness with generalities that are off-the-mark to begin with. We can only understand a problem in terms of our current awareness. In other words, we can’t know what we don’t know.

Your customer is in the same boat. When she states her problem, you can understand her, based on the context of the situation, or simply because you’ve solved a similar problem for others like her. But in her mind, she just can’t see the problem clearly. And that’s half the problem! That’s where you come in.

Next time you’re in a problem/solution situation, help your customer by applying details — details she’s provided, even! — to her problem.

People simply don’t have the time or space to be less than their best if they think about problems in specific, accurate terms. This is where copywriting comes in, so consider these concepts as if you had to write an exploratory paper about your customer’s dilemma. You’ll quickly see how easy it is to address the problem, come up with a decent solution, and encourage your client to see it from a new vantage point.

As a work-from-home mom with a business to run, I remember many summers when the kids would whine that there was “nothing to do!” Quickly coming up with a list of specific things for them to do was my solution.

In a similar way, what I’m suggesting here is not to offer your customer a list of specific options to choose from; but rather to pose their questions as specifically as possible so that they can easily come to the same conclusion as you and see the ease with which their problem could be solved.

When you show you understand, by merely reframing their problem with specific details, then you’ll be seen as an expert with an answer.

I have some ideas for you today — ideas that can improve the way you put into words how your products and services help your customers.

Here’s the thing. For most people, when something is bugging us, and especially when we haven’t quite decided to do something about it yet, we tend to linger around the problem like we’re lost in a cloud. It’s almost as if we enjoy being lost in the muddle.

Next time you’re really frustrated, notice your thoughts. Does that voice in your head start uttering negative-talk? If you’re human, your mind may start coming up with generalities which are definitely not going to bring you any closer to a solution. When you’re really down and out, it’s almost impossible to see your situation in specific, solution-oriented terms! Instead, your inner voice says things like:

I always get within 10 pounds of my goal weight, then stop losing weight. Why try?
I have no time for that project.
How can I be so forgetful?
Every time I attend that meeting, I end up frustrated.
That class is too expensive.
Writing code is hard.
I can never hire the right person for the job.

Can you see the relationship between all these phrases? At their core they hold no power because they are nebulous by nature. When you find yourself thinking about problems in this vague way, inspect them more closely to find the real hooks inside the issue.

To show you can really serve your customer — and relay that with your copywriting, let’s rephrase each of the above complaints with a specific clause. Where, exactly, does the person get snagged up?

I always get within 10 pounds of my goal weight, then stop losing. Why try?
- Should be: When I reach 125 pounds, I start adding old friends like chips and ice cream to my diet. How can I stay on target and resist those things?
I have no time for that project.
- Should be: I would need to drop this other thing from my schedule if I were to work on that. Or I really don’t want to make time for that project, but maybe I can find someone who can help.
How can I be so forgetful?
- Should be: I’m great about remembering to-do items for projects, so why do I forget the names of the clients at that company? How do I retain them?
Every time I attend that meeting, I end up frustrated.
- Should be: Who or what is it about that meeting that frustrates me? Can I avoid feeling frustrated by doing or saying something different?
That class is too expensive.
- Should be: That class is expensive compared to this other one. What is the added value I would get from it?
Exercising is hard.
- Should be: I find it difficult to stay on task when I’m studying. Once I settle into my work I’m ok, so how do I get rid of distractions so I can focus?
I can never hire the right person for the job.
- Should be: Either my ads are attracting the wrong candidates or we don’t have an interview process that screens people well. Where can I get information about that?

Now think about some of the common problems of your customers.

Are people coming to you with a perceived problem that is unsolvable in their minds? It could be because the wording is intrinsically formatted in “loser” terms. I’m not saying that out of disrespect. You must show empathy by listening and repeating the things that are bugging them.

Finally, don’t merely imagine your constituents’ problems. Verify your guesses by making yourself available on social media, in your communities, and through face-to-face networking with REAL people. In order to truly understand how to serve people better, you must engage in a real conversation with them.

As you begin to offer help, that’s when it’s appropriate to define problems with specific words and phrases.

Specific terminology — rather than general fog — defines the problem and gives it real teeth, so you can get in there and fix it.

If it weren’t for all the preconceived notions, and non specific ideas tumbling around in our heads, just imagine how productive we could be and how quickly we could come up with answers to our problems! Learn to let others help you when you can’t define a problem with certainty, and then learn to help others when you can see clearly through their brain fog.

When writing and creating content for your audience, hook your readers with specific concepts that redefine their main problem.

Want to take this discussion further? Let’s connect on Facebook. What’s the hardest part about finding the root of your customer’s nebulous problem?

[Updated from a 2013 blog post]

Why Curated Content is the Magic Missing Link for Realtors

March 6, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

This post sprouts from personal experience as someone who writes content for the real estate industry, and is also keeping an eye out for the right house… so lean in!

I’m browsing the market these days, getting a feel for what’s out there because I’m thinking of moving out of my too-large house. As a content writer and marketer for folks in real estate, I was curious how long people casually look for a house before they actually search in earnest. I did not find a time-related answer, but I did discover that the average buyer visits 10 – 20 homes before finding the right one to call home.

Now, I do know one thing for a fact, though. People nose around real estate even when they’re not really looking to buy or sell… right now. Yes, your clients and future clients are browsing on Zillow, sweeping around Google Earth looking at hot neighborhoods, stopping at open houses and shopping at home stores for upgrades.

Realtors, real estate brokers and agents, real estate investors, home inspectors, and anyone else marketing in the competitive world of real estate, you’re familiar with this home search technique: When buyers are ready to begin a home search, they usually begin by narrowing the field online.

Jeanne Feenick, a New Jersey realtor, describes the typical behavior of someone ready to buy:

What I find very interesting is how the dynamic changes with market conditions but also how the popularity of the internet among buyers has altered the process. Today’s buyers do a great deal of their initial searching online, so that when they enlist the support of an agent, they tend to be pretty far along in the sales cycle. As a result I recognize that online buyers are close to ready, and the number of home we see together may be lower than in the past. Why? Because they have already “seen” many homes on line and are ready to really hone in on real contenders.

Jeanne Feenick
Unwavering Commitment to Service

It’s no secret that consumers are more informed than ever when it comes to purchasing decisions, not only for houses, but for items related to home ownership, design, repairs, and decorating.

Many people love to look at houses and dream of owning real estate that increases in value over time. Whether shopping for home goods, accessories for rooms and yards we currently inhabit, or dreaming about spaces and furniture seen in magazines, on TV and websites like Pinterest; human beings like to feel safe, stylish, sexy, and at home in our dwellings.

Now the big question: Are you taking advantage of this basic human craving to market your real estate business?

As a content marketer and copywriter for real estate businesses, I’ve noticed (far too often) that many real estate marketers are overlooking one of the most connective and attractive pieces of their marketing mix: Curated Content.

What is curated content?

Curated content is content that YOU don’t have to produce, but which you’re happy to share because it serves your potential market. It’s already out there on the web, and your clients are reading or watching it. Others in your field may have produced it (not your direct competition, but someone in another locality), or specialists in related or complementary fields may have written it.

The point is, it’s already “done,” it strikes a chord with your potential clients and customers, and it’s there for you to share.

Why aren’t you using curated content?

So why aren’t you using it? Over my years of writing and marketing, I’ve gathered a few common reasons. I’m going to discuss why I believe more real estate pros aren’t using curated content.

Then I’ll try to dispel the myths that are preventing you from using it to stand out.

Myth #1. It’s not YOU. And it’s not YOURS.

Above all other reasons for not using curated content is a strong belief in your originality and unique point of view. You have a unique perspective and way of doing things, and you may feel like all your content needs to come directly from you. Especially on social media, you may be under the impressions that it needs to be written and posted by you.

The images need to come from your jobs, your case studies from current or past clients, or the work you’re doing today. Maybe you even feel like you need to be the one snapping the picture, or writing answers to questions, coming up with ideas, anticipating your clients’ concerns, and providing solutions.

Well, if you can do all that… kudos! I’d never stop someone from personally marketing his or her own business. But let’s face it, original or “owned” content that you create is valuable because it takes work and reflects your well-thought-out point of view. When you hit that sweet spot between what people want and need and what you uniquely provide, you’ve struck gold. Hopefully others appreciate and share it.

But here’s the secret. It’s not up to you to spin gold from everything you see, hear and read! Content you create and “own” should make up about 20 – 40% of all content you share. But the other portion can easily come from curated content. The beauty in sharing relevant content created by other bloggers and business owners is that it lets you piggyback and benefit from others’ great content, and even allows you to add your spin.

Myth #2. You fear it will point your reader in the direction of a competitor.

First, let me preface this topic with the reminder that you should never swipe someone else’s content without giving them credit. It’s not only decent, it’s required that you provide a link to the originator of any content you share. So naturally you may worry that you’re sending a perfect client away from your social media page or even into the arms of someone who might get their business. Why would you send someone to another source of news, information, or services, you ask?

Of course you might not choose to direct a potential client away to a competitor’s website or social media page. Instead, you can curate good content that complements and adds to your services. In doing so, you actually attract customers by sharing something relevant to them.

There are hidden benefits to this, too. Folks start to rely on your for your discerning eye. If you only share high quality articles, videos and images, people will grow to rely on your curating skills, and pay attention to what you share. More on that soon.

Myth #3. Curating content takes too much time.

Who has time to scour all the websites and report, share and comment on every trend or local news item? That would mean making time every day to find great content that your clients might like, and then upload it to your blog or social media sites.

To be honest, for most professionals, content curation is a time suck you can’t afford when you have people to call, lead generation to do, paperwork, and contractors to meet. Not to mention a personal life to live. (You do have one of those, don’t you?)

When there’s so much else to do, can you carve out a little extra time to find all this relevant content? Some people can, and of course there are certain tools that make this task easier. I can recommend plenty of useful tools and tips for finding awesome content if you want to take this on yourself. If not, a good alternative is hiring a virtual or local assistant to do this work for you.

Myth #4. Posting content on social media takes too much time.

This is probably the most common rebuttal I hear regarding curating content. It’s a big enough job creating content of your own, let alone logging into all your sites and posting and sharing others’ content. It can make you crazy if you don’t have a system for easily putting interesting curated content into Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. You know you need to keep populating those pages and feeds, but it’s either feast or famine where that’s concerned.

Social media and content marketing usually starts with the best intentions. Maybe you went to a marketing meeting and got stoked to be active on Facebook where thousands of people will see you, remember you and engage with you. You have your phone on you all the time, so how hard could it be to post regularly so that people who’ve liked your page keep seeing your stuff?

With fresh motivation, you vow to build your clientele from fans and followers on social media. You post regularly for a few days in a row, and then, a couple times per week, and finally you fall out of the habit. You just can’t keep it up on your own. You feel like a hamster on a wheel and it’s difficult to see the value, so you stop posting altogether.

It’s OK to admit it if you don’t enjoy spending time on social media. I talk to many people who view it as just another job to do, and one that doesn’t seem to yield results! So why bother? Unfortunately, if you ignore it, your business will suffer next to someone who works Facebook, Twitter or Linked In like a star. Sure, it may be easier to simply send out a postcard every month or two to your neighbors, but if they don’t see you daily in person, it’s easy to forget about you.

Social media allows you to be around all the time for very little cost to your marketing budget. At least the sites themselves are free to use.

But I’m not going to tell you that content marketing is a no brainer. It takes some time — and a system, including regular use of social sharing software like CoSchedule or Buffer. Click here for more information about these tools, and a couple others we use.

Also, the business owner (realtor, inspector, agent, investor, etc.) who’s spending the day writing and posting sparkling commentary is probably not doing what he or she should be doing. Their most important job is selling houses, finding houses, talking with people, making phone calls, attending meetings, inspecting houses, etc. Creating or even “just” curating content takes time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get done magically, or even effortlessly. But if there’s no time, then you need to outsource the work.

OK, so lets say you’ve jumped all these four hurdles. You agree that you can and should market yourself with the savvy use of others’ content, you recognize that you’re not casting out your best potential clients at your own expense, you make time to curate, you find time to post, you even adopt a system for sharing, and a handy means for scheduling regular posts in the future. Even if you have all of those things, there’s still something holding you back from curating content…

Myth #5. You’re still not convinced the ROI is any good.

Bottom line. You just never thought content marketing was all that important. Some people make it look easy, and you appreciate the effect, but secretly you wonder if the return on investment really worth it, for you? Well here’s the scoop on that.

It’s important. People who use content and social media to market their businesses know it for a fact. Just yesterday, I viewed a speech from Social Media Marketing World last year in which Mark Schaefer, author of the great book The Content Code, said ROI was difficult to measure 7 years ago; and it’s no easier to measure today!

Content ROI is difficult to measure, but it still matters.

The act of sharing content helps people understand you. Since curating content requires less hands-on time to create and produce, yet portrays you as someone who is friendly and helpful, why wouldn’t you spend some time incorporating curated content in your marketing mix?

The number one reason for posting daily, curated content, at about an 80/20 ratio to your owned content, is so that people know, like, and trust you. By sharing others’ content you become, in their eyes, someone who is active in the community, someone real, with a voice and a point of view. Simultaneously, you become a leader in your market.

You want to be remembered, so your marketing is the crucial piece of the puzzle that quietly positions you as the go-to expert for future business. Curated content is the glue that enables others to know that you are active, and that you care about the same things they care about.

Think about the benefit of posting an article on first homes with technology new families would appreciate, or an article on organizing your possessions for a move to a smaller house, a statistic about the latest school bond up for a vote in your school district, etc. People who care about those things will note that you are someone who understands the same issues.

Curated content shared by you is like the glue that holds their attention when you’re not actually “marketing yourself.”

Content you distribute and pepper with your personal commentary shows that you read, watch, and are paying attention to trends, people and ideas that are important. While this type of content isn’t actually “selling” anything you actually do, it initiates and furthers the conversation between you and your ideal clients.

The real return on your investment in curating content is proof that you are active, involved, and helpful (whether directly or indirectly) regarding real estate, your community, and properties in your area. If you provide what people want and need on a small level, chances are they’ll think of you when they’re ready to make upgrades to their house, help their adult child buy their first property, or maybe even list their house soon.

Isn’t it funny how people’s memory seems to hinge on what they saw recently on their phone? Sharing curated tips, pictures, news, recipes, etc. assure you that your customers will remember you because you’re someone who’s reaching them right there, in all the little ways people connect, laugh, worry, brag, and share.

When you get the opportunity to connect face to face, be there. When you can’t be there in person, make use of social sharing and curated content.

If you’d like to discuss your content strategy, and how My team Connects can help you grow your business, please call anytime at 512-351-3329. Or simply give us a shout via email.

Detachment is the New Black in 2017

January 31, 2017 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Four weeks into 2017, and I’ve come up with my Word of the Year…

Detachment

Every January I crown one word (maybe two) “Queen.” With the exception of last year, a significant word gets this honor, coupled with my intention to think, act, and meditate on it.

Previous year’s words were “Build, Listen, Thankful, Pray, Breathe, Ask, Joy,” etc. I literally apply the word (in sticky letters) to the steering wheel of my car, and post it on my office wall so that I’m reminded daily to follow it.

After several years of this practice, I know it has an effect. Adopting a word-of-the-year (a WOTY) provides a mental framework for the change you want to see and feel in your life.

In hindsight, I can identify a thread of purposeful action as a result of having an intention right in front of my face for 12 months. So much so, that I recommend choosing a single word as your focus, particularly if you’re not into setting specific New Year’s goals.

In past years, I’ve come up with my WOTY based on something I’ve been hoping for or trying to accomplish, but this year, the word chose me…

Early in the month, I had coffee with a friend, also a parent of teenagers. She showed me an inspirational card featuring the word “Detachment.” Through the lens of our teenagers’ shenanigans, we talked about what detachment might mean if applied to real life.

I thought I knew, but as the days passed, the word kept floating into my consciousness.

So many opportunities to detach…

I heard a news story on the radio, and thought, “Detach.”
A disturbing text from my child’s friend lit up my phone at 4:30 am, kicking off a few days of drama, as teenagers dish it up. Again, my mind presented the mantra, “Detach, detach, detach.”
I read a Facebook comment I wished I hadn’t. “Detach.”

The word arose so many times in the past few weeks that I’m certain it’s my Word of the Year. Ironically, the seed of “Detachment” hitched in my brain and now I can’t stop thinking about it.

So I’m hooked. But what’s detachment really mean?

Detachment can be a negative emotional crutch, blunting feelings toward others. It can create a widening moat of isolation, a lack of empathy, or even abuse. But that’s not the kind of detachment I’m talking about.

I’m envisioning Detachment as a positive tool, and trying to employ it less as a protective device, than for moving ahead with creativity, and a “lightness of being.”

Backing up a bit, I should mention that I’ve never been known for an unwavering, long lasting attachment to anything. Fierce, yes; steadfast, not so much. Some people say my flightiness drives them nuts… “Whimsical” is a nice way to put it.

My mom attributes it to my being a Gemini. She claims she never knew which child was getting up in the morning. Diplomatic to a fault, I’m as comfortable with ambiguity as I am with black and white. I figure it’s just natural to allow folks the right to change their minds, while expecting the same consideration in return. You don’t know what you don’t know yet. My dad calls it “fickle.” Just don’t call me shallow, though it may look that way…

An old college friend told me once that he couldn’t “just cut his losses,” like I seemed to. He couldn’t just walk away from things, people, or situations.

It was a shot to the heart, to be sure. I took it as an admonishment to take more care of people and their feelings. And when I wipe out, try not to take anyone down with me!

Skating the surface allows you to quickly cover a lot of ground. (Think of Mercury, with wings on his heels.) Luckily, so far, every time I fall, I brush myself off, and – eventually – laugh. I may lack many admirable qualities, including a propensity for serious, focused pondering; but resilience, curiosity, and invention hopefully make up for a lot of them.

The silver lining of having a mercurial personality is that I couldn’t hold a grudge for thirty minutes if it had a handle on it. I get over things pretty fast. If you piss me off or I get my feelings hurt, I might forget about you for a day or two, but when your number shows up in my contact list, my first thought is probably, “Hey! Missed you!”

Why God made me this way is his business, but that’s the way it is and has always been. Sometimes I’d like to change…

Oh well, so much for true confessions.

This might not be easy…

Adopting “Detachment” as my word of the year seems like it would be easy for someone like me, wouldn’t it? But it’s not.

Detachment does NOT mean you have to pretend something doesn’t matter to you. No, life is messy and wonderful. You should let yourself feel it and react accordingly.

But oh my goodness, all that advice about finding one thing you’re passionate about stops me dead in my tracks. Should I list them alphabetically, or by season?

The trick is to hang on tight to a few things that make you feel happy or purposeful, then practice those things daily. Enjoy the people you love and let them make their own mistakes and live their own lives.

Why “Detachment” is my Word of the Year

Which brings me right back to my WOTY. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been trying to practice true, eye-opening detachment, detachment that doesn’t mean cutting my losses, or jumping the track, which (for me, at least) is the easy thing to do.

Detachment, in it’s best form, requires being open to Not Knowing. It’s knowing you’ll be OK not knowing; it’s a walk in faith.

Detachment isn’t just about accepting other people and events as they are, and minding my own business. It’s not about turning away from them, either. It’s accepting that there exists an outcome I haven’t thought of yet, an outcome that means I don’t get to step out of the picture and let the chips fall; it’s accepting the task of participating in an outcome that involves everyone, just not necessarily on my terms.

Detachment is more connective than I thought, but it also means you have to get really comfortable with yourself, even the bullshit — and only you know what that is, for you. You have to stop believing all the stories you’ve come to tell about yourself and others.

A detached mind isn’t easily fooled.

Some particularly close-hitting fallout from this experiment in detachment is coming to terms with the need to temper any automatic, distorted thoughts. That means releasing my practice of defining events and concerns with emotional, value loaded words (a skill that comes easily to a copywriter); overgeneralizing a situation; or permitting a memory to loop over and over in my mind.

Just because something is this way now, doesn’t mean it’s always going to be this way.

This is nothing new to people familiar with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Healthy detachment feels more like hanging in there, and waiting to see, than like jumping out of a moving vehicle. It’s staying in place and accepting the outcome that presents itself. It even feels a bit like commitment. Ironic, huh?

Sales expert Lisa Sasevich, a former mentor of mine, advocates being “committed, but not attached.”

There’s more creative challenge in that one phrase then an entire book of concrete advice! In business, relationships, sports, politics, and any area where you want to influence others; commitment without attachment is a lot harder than just following a prescribed list of expected behaviors.

Why? Because being committed to something means you get to (have to) define what you’re committing to without hitching your personal well being to it. In other words, beware of placing your bets on other people, physical things, and world/local events. You can lose your soul out there.

The Challenge in Detaching

The poem The World Is Too Much With Us, by William Wordsworth proves this is not just a contemporary problem. People are always looking for peace and a way to buffer themselves. Trying to find comfort in the midst of it all is the human condition, provoking the pondering of poets:

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon.

Detachment, the way I’m thinking of it, means you take into account the chips you’re putting on the table — your experiences, values, expectations, talents, resources, relationships, etc. — and you decide the extent to which you personally own them.

By allowing a buffer between your emotional involvement and your work, you protect yourself. But this can cut both ways.

Your actions have an effect on others and your environment, but you don’t always get to own the effect they have. Sometimes, you’ll work like crazy to prevent something from happening. It looks like business as usual from the outside, but you struggle to maintain the status quo. You never get kudos for staying out of bankruptcy, paying your employees on time, keeping your family fed, and eating healthy. Yet you do it to avoid worse.

A happy soul does this work with benign detachment.

Then there will be times you are blamed for things you never intended. You can be the most generous parent, but your child remembers the rare event when you said no to his request. You can be the most productive, reliable employee, but everyone notices when you have to leave early. Your consistency is taken for granted, and you’re punished the rare moment it falters.

But when you are detached, you can simultaneously give it your all, and hold it close to your heart. You know — and God knows — even if others don’t.

It’s a mental trick that comes with personal responsibility, padawan. One you master with practice.

Abe Lincoln: A Master at Detaching and Staying on his True Course

As I read Team of Rivals, The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, a few excerpts moved me to tears imagining the steady detachment Abraham Lincoln. Most people know he lost more elections than he won, but are less familiar with his other personal and professional trials.

In 1855, as the popular candidate of the Whig party in Illinois, and a leader in the anti slavery movement, Lincoln ran for a Senate seat. A major blizzard prevented several supporters from showing up to vote on the designated date. Due to the storm and to a few men who would not vote across party lines, Lincoln could not gain the majority vote. Ultimately, Lincoln forfeited his candidacy to a candidate with fewer votes in his party, in order to uphold the cause of anti-slavery in general.

His supporters were crying over the loss, but Lincoln was not crushed. He magnanimously put aside his personal ambitions and committed to a cause, when it would have been easy to confuse the two.

We tend to think our involvement is so crucial to an outcome, that there should be some reward and rest at the end. Laying down your sword before the end of a hard-fought battle sucks. It’s only possible if you are able to detach, and offer up your hard work as a byproduct of your life’s trajectory.

Lincoln knew his path as a leader and a politician. He would unite the country over the slavery issue. Setbacks and slights were bumps on the road to achieving that dream. He couldn’t have known, or even hoped that slavery would be abolished, yet he persisted.

In another situation, a colleague treated Lincoln horribly, but he took it on the chin and transformed an injustice into one of his most elegant career moves.

Right after the Senate seat letdown, a prominent patent case was to be tried in Lincoln’s home state of Illinois. In spite of Lincoln’s lack of a formal, prestigious education, the lead lawyer, George Harding, chose Lincoln to assist him in the case because he “understood” the appointed local judge. Soon after Harding hired Lincoln, the case was moved to Ohio, where Harding changed his mind and hired Edwin Stanton, the star attorney he really preferred.

Harding neglected to inform Lincoln that he wanted no further further help from him, so Lincoln continued to do the legwork he was hired to do, and showed up in Cincinnati on the designated day.

As it turned out, Harding and Stanton dissed Lincoln hard. They made it clear that Lincoln should withdraw from the case, which he did. They also treated him with such rudeness; it would have made a lesser man react in anger and spite. Lincoln never lost his composure, nor did he take offense. He had no negative words regarding the snub. Instead he endured the scorn of the man who had hired him to try a case; who not only sent him on a wild goose chase gathering material to try the case, but ignored the fact that Lincoln had spent months working on it, and had traveled far from home to help.

To add insult to injury, Stanton made fun of Lincoln’s clothes, his posture, etc. and even excluded him from taking meals with the legal team. Basically, their behavior was despicable and immature.

Lincoln responded by simply showing up and being 100% present, a true indication of a positive, detached mindset. He bore the mistreatment with poise and grace, and even stayed to watch the trial.

Afterward, he had not one negative word regarding the experience. Instead, he praised the quality of the lawyer’s expertise in trying the case and stated that he was heading back to Illinois to study law and improve his skills.

The whole nasty experience was a low personal blow, but Lincoln didn’t show it. Rather, he expressed admiration for Stanton’s professional prowess. Six years later, as president, Lincoln would appoint him to his cabinet as secretary of war.

The example of detaching from an outcome means that you’re going to be neither crushed nor elated. Detachment in the face of unanticipated results requires dogged endurance and quiet optimism. Lincoln never stopped pursuing his ambition for higher office. He encountered setback after setback, without letting them fester.

On his path toward excellence, Lincoln refused to let his failures take root or shred his resolve to make good. His unwavering detachment divested power from his past failures and opened doors to his future success.

By adopting an air of detachment, you learn who you are and what you’re made of, in spite of extenuating circumstances, and you reveal a calm face to the world.

This self-knowledge seems to manifest as reliability and prudence. It’s as comforting for others to see, as it is for you to feel, even if you don’t always like what you learn.

It’s the journey. It’s like being on a train and knowing your destination. You’re free to engage with other people, enjoy the scenery, get up and walk about, or doze off for a while. You’re assured of where you’re going.

Let me tell you, I’m not even close to having this down. It’s easy to get swirled into a conflict you can’t resolve.

The Inherent Rewards of Detaching from Your Emotions

Conscious detachment, while not necessarily uncommon, is not easily recognized nor frequently rewarded. Why do we crave recognition and reward anyway? Because that’s what ultimately puts food on the table and assures us there are people to eat with. Most everyone wants to feel simpatico with others. We want to know that all is well, that we belong.

Although practicing detachment keeps you steady on your path to excellence, but it is also a misunderstood source of personal power, which means sometimes you’ll end up just barely scraping by, or eating alone.

You’ve seen all those signs riffing on the British adage, “Keep Calm and Carry On,” right? Well you can’t keep calm without a sprinkling of detachment…

Boss ignored your request for a meeting? Whatever, you’ll find another way to get the job done.
Child chooses goofing off over studying, and gets a D on a math test? It’s his lesson to learn.
Tree falls on your roof? That’s nature.
Crappy customer service? It’s not you.
Coworker bailed out again? Bring it on.
Candidate lost? Get back in the saddle and work harder.

Masters of detachment have reserves of calm and quiet optimism.

The people who get the most attention in the news, the boardroom, and the playground are those who throw fits, and embroil themselves in messes trying to assert their will and personality on others. They’re not always the most effective, though.

Even if you don’t outwardly show distress, detachment keeps you steady. When you are inwardly involved in a negative or positive outcome, it’s easy to get whipped around by your own emotions. The stress that doesn’t serve you.

Yet who hasn’t experienced that? I’ve been there a thousand times, interpreting others’ actions or comments as personal slights, allowing events and circumstances to blur my core intentions and values.

This year, I’m keeping the word Detachment close, like a secret charm.

I’m hoping this theme takes effect in several areas of life, enabling me to peel away too much association with physical possessions, wasteful professional pursuits, unhealthy relationships, and even, to some extent, unnecessary personal goals.

While I’d never want to ditch the important things, I do want to create a healthy space in my mind and spirit where there’s no fighting paper tigers to maintain fleeting happiness and peace of mind.

With a long-overdue divorce finally on the horizon, some new resolutions regarding work, and my physical environment settling down after years of upheaval; it’s more important than ever to keep my little boat from capsizing in this swift-moving river of life. A little cheesy, maybe? I’m done protesting too much.

I hope a healthy detachment translates into growth this year. Having made some decent progress, I certainly don’t want to lose any ground.

It’s time to balance the paddling with the natural current; detach, and go with the flow.