It is known that the power of positive thinking leads to better outcomes.
This dates back to at least 1952 when Norman Vincent Peale published his controversial book “The Power of Positive Thinking”. Controversial at the time because of an unwillingness to disclose sources. More recently, Bloomberg magazine provides current research to highlight the economic impacts of positive thinking in an article by Charles Kenny “How Optimism Strengthens Economies”.
“Over the long period…it appears that happiness and optimism are a driving force behind even stronger economic performance, encouraging risk, experimentation, and hard work, according to a cross-country analysis”
So now there is a ton of proof to back up the theory. It is all good. Let’s all think positive. What’s the problem?
The problem is the fear of the great unknown. This is the debilitating emotion that strangles all that strength in positive thinking. In the business world, much attention has been giving to historically high cash levels sitting on corporate balance sheet along with an increase in share buy-backs, and acquisitions to boost share value. Financial engineering seems to be a safer way to boost share value when you fear the uncertainty of the future.
And so how are you to market your wares in such an environment?
To start with, it is normal to focus broadly on all those who can benefit from your offering. Those who should have the need. Those who should be interested. But then you must be methodical on how you narrow in and focus your best efforts.
It is really about finding ways to latch on to those who are positive thinkers; who want to do something to improve their current situation. And this can only come through your messaging and content. Through a reveal in how you think about things; and a match with how they think about things.
And this is why it is important to have a demand generation mindset when it comes to your marketing strategy. The entire spectrum of your efforts needs to be directed at bringing those prospects forward who are positive thinkers about the situation that they are moving towards. That they aspire to achieve.
Being a positive thinker translates to having a bias for action. It is about having that inherent belief that “there must be a way”. Positive thinkers are more likely to try several solutions in pursuit of achieving the progress towards their desired state.
This is the mindset that brings both an acknowledgement of uncertainty and a tolerance for it. The acceptance that “We will never know for sure, unless we try it.”
So you must craft your messaging and content in your demand generation system to elicit the response that a positive thinker would take. You need to provide insight and information in what it is that you can achieve. And as they move closer to you, their desire to believe grows stronger. Taken with their propensity for action, the demand generation process will produce the qualified prospects that you seek.
Now here is the tough part. Once you have forged some kind of connection, then you must continually put out fresh content to maintain that connection, until that prospect is ready to take action. The reality in the B2B world is that new prospects put up with their existing scenarios for longer periods than is ideal. But you must continue to nurture them, because it will continue to fuel that positive thinking.