In case you haven't noticed, the days of persuasion are fast disappearing, being replaced by an ever increasing Opt-in world. This concept means that consumers are exercising their power of choice, they are looking closer at what they buy, what the "need" and deciding if it is worth their while. Another thing is this is not just happening to the "fluff" stuff, it's happening to the "necessities", consumers are looking for value, and help in satisfying their need. While monetary value is an important factor it is becoming less and less the sole determining factor in buying decisions in fact research is finding that the total perceived value a product makes to the life of the buyer is becoming more and more a factor.
The old way of buying was based predominantly on "cheapness" to the point it became a badge of success. Products and brands competed for our attention based on price point, with adds reinforcing the "cheapness" factor. This perception that cheap was good was one of the main contributors to the "throw away society" we have become, because we no longer measured the value of a product by it's quality, it's longevity, or it's contribution to our lives. If it broke we could easily throw it away and buy the next shiny object.
In summary all of this led to persuasion and selling on the part of businesses, our consumers had to be convinced (by using a long list of sales tricks and techniques) that they should buy what we had to offer. Value seldom entered into the argument, at least in any depth, value arguments were presented as appeals to our vanity as in "you will be the coolest dude" if you smoke Lucky Strikes.
Rise of Consumer Empowerment
The death of advertising and now combined with the shift in the way we as a culture do business has left consumers feeling more and more empowered leading to what has become known as an "opt-in" economy. So having a strong group of followers who know the value of your products eliminates the need to convince and persuade.
The twist here for artists is that while we have long been considered "fluff" not necessary to living life most people realized they needed art and the beauty it brings but the "cheapness" story ran their lives. The combination of factors described above are giving us an opportunity to make our value more visible and identify those who want to opt-in to receiving our message.
Because consumers want connection and remarkable products that will make their lives more meaningful, artists are uniquely positioned for the coming shift...we offer nothing but life affirming and enhancing products.
However, before we can be successful leaders in the shift we need to take a look at our stories, the metaphors that frame the way we see the world. By deeply examining those metaphors and learning that they are just stories we tell ourselves we start to open the door to our full potential, we start the journey to becoming self-directed which in turn makes our contribution to the world more visible and more desirable to those holding similar values. In the end we attract success by being able to provide the value our buyers want, and more importantly the buyers who get what we have to offer...which makes our job even easier.
What do you think? Can you change your stories and metaphors? Can you step into your own greatness and accept that people do want what you have to offer?
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