Put The God-in Marketing To Improve How You Influence

It’s perfectly spelled out for us with Seth Godin

Seth Godin has put the God in marketing in a few ways. First, please notice the two syllables in Seth’s last name, God-in. You could not write a better character name in the simulation script.

If you have not heard of simulation theory, here is a link. I call those who promote the theory simulation prophets. They like pointing out how names can foreshadow a person’s character, like in a story.

The Godin marketing script vindicates the simulation prophets with this revelation. Before we marvel at the simulation story, let’s sync our minds around marketing with some confessions.

Sidestepping the sellers

We all have tried to avoid someone selling something before, even by extreme measures. Maybe you crossed the street to the other sidewalk to escape the eager greeter waiting to sell you something. Perhaps you approach life by avoiding most interactions with sales people all together, a gift from the internet age. You may get anxiety from going to a car lot because you stress over the confrontation with the salesperson.

Why do we do this?

I think there are few reasons. We may think everything extra is evil. Maybe you are like me and your will power is weak, especially if you go into a situation without giving it some thought. I know to avoid certain situations unless I’m prepared because I need time to think.

Also, we naturally remember the bad first. Any negative experiences we previously had with sales people can come crashing into our conscious that will make our minds hard as rock. No matter what any salesperson says, no matter how authentic, your answer will be no. This is unfortunate because you could miss out on a product, feature, or service you need but don’t know about.

The Godin Marketing

Seth Godin’s approach to marketing could change all of this because it transforms sales pressure into a synchronized partnership. How does he do it? He put’s the God in marketing.

He wrote a book he summarized this way in an interview with Bryan Elliott around the 4:50 mark, “it’s about work that matters for people who care”. Do you see it?

The Bible is a book attributed to the inspiration of God. So God wrote a book if you believe it. What is a good way to summarize God’s book? Galatians 5:6 is a perfect match. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Here is a helpful translation, work that matters by caring for people. Sounds familiar.

Seth Godin also admonishes us in the same interview to have “empathy for people you serve”. Look at the assumption in the sentence. To be a marketer is to serve others. If you are familiar with popular scriptures, you know where this is going. Matthew 23:11 says, “The greatest among you will be your servant.”

Perhaps this was the most humorous one, “We are creators” at the 8:00 minute mark. This one speaks for itself.

Simulation speculation aside, these are great teachings for marketing or life. We could continue to compare Godin marketing with God’s morality, but I think you see the picture. It’s uncanny.

More Inspiration

Here are a few more tips from Seth Godin’s playbook to inspire you. See if you can spot the similarities yourself between Godin marketing and God’s morality.

First, think not about what you can sell. Think, “how can I help solve a problem”. Then, “market with them, not at them”. These approaches make marketing more pleasant for everyone. I also believe they make marketing more productive for society.

Here is my last take away from Seth’s interview. Think “better, not more”. This one is probably my favorite because it feels like the trend in the mainstream is the margin must come first, even if people or the product suffer.

Different versions of this can creep in anywhere. “How to” headlines can leave your head spinning in a sea of content saturation. Ultimately, it’s on us to learn how to best use our platforms without getting information overload.

The moral of the marketing

In the same way, we handle what we sell, but also how we sell. Most of us are sellers. I agree with Seth’s definition of a marketer. He said marketers bring change. Perhaps the marketing title needs to be reserved for our change agents in society.

Everyone else, we are sellers. We are influencers. This does not mean we are less important than the marketers making change happen. It takes all of us to make the world go round. I think it’s fair to say all of this is a type of marketing.

Whether you influence, sell, or make change happen, remember to put the Godin marketing because Seth and the simulation said so.