How To Use Your Marketing To Help People Who Are Stuck
May 27, 2021
You probably have clients who have told you about how they were “stuck.” They put off looking for help because maybe the situation would take care of itself. They didn’t know what moving forward would look like. The not-knowing was reason enough to avoid it.
The uneasiness just got too strong and they had to do something. Then they found you!
In my last article, I wrote of the value of using the first two stages of the Hero’s Journey® in your emails, blogs, and website. Now I’ll share how the next two stages of the journey are also perfect for you to reach out to prospective clients.
The third stage is the “Refusal of the Call.” It’s the point when someone knows there is a change at hand but they want nothing to do with it.
The fourth stage is where you come in. “Meeting the Mentor” is when the hero is blessed with someone who encourages them for the journey.
The Hero’s Journey® is for real life
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 20 years ago, it was a “Call to Adventure.” I was not consciously seeking this. I did not want to go on that “adventure.” My first reaction was an adamant “No!”
Yet, there it was anyway. I couldn’t run from it. I couldn’t ignore it. But, before I could deal with it, I had to go through a stage of “refusing the call” using the language of the Hero’s Journey®.
I was angry. I was scared. My mind raced trying to find a way out of it. But the cancer was in me and I couldn’t escape my body! After a few days, I came to terms with the reality that I had cancer and was ready to face it.
I talked with a few trusted friends. I cried a lot. Then, finding no other options that still kept me alive, I ventured forth into a transforming life experience.
I have had the privilege of studying the Hero’s Journey®, teaching it to incarcerated writers, and walking with people on their heroic life journeys. I also use it in my spiritual direction ministry to help normalize the struggles people face–and to give them hope. The struggle, after all, is just part of the journey.
Use the Hero’s Journey® to engage your audience
The Hero’s Journey® is a powerful system. It helps people find hope in the challenges and courage when they’re afraid. This structure taps into our deep collective consciousness. It is our story.
As a writer, I often use stages of the Hero’s Journey® to help connect with readers. For example, this is a horribly boring story:
Jack needed some running shoes so he went to his favorite shoe store and bought some. They fit great and he loved them.
Definitely unremarkable. Even if I told you which store and what color the shoes were, it would still be boring. You’d have no reason to remember it. You wouldn’t engage with it.
But what if Jack had challenges? What if his foot was so sore he couldn’t run? And he was terrified of doctors? How long would he suffer before acting on the problem? The struggle is what keeps our attention.
You have a role in client’s journeys
There is an old piece of wisdom, sometimes attributed to Buddhism, sometimes to the Theosophists, that says “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
It works similarly for coaches and clients. When I have needed guides on my journey, they have appeared. While it may have seemed so, I’m sure they didn’t just appear “out of thin air.”
The coaches and guides I have found had made themselves known. They used writing and marketing to let me know they were available and what they had to offer. They showed up when I was struggling to take the next step. Then they offered me the helping hand I needed. I was ready to recognize they could help me.
How to use the Hero’s Journey® in your marketing
Using these two stages of the Hero’s Journey® is one way to let prospective clients know you are there in their struggle. Some of the people who are seeking your expertise will be in that stage where they can no longer refuse the compelling pull they feel. But it’s scary. That’s where you can help them as an experienced guide.
What does it look like if you use these stages of the Hero’s Journey®?
- Naming the “Refusal of the Call” helps normalize the experience. It might be just the push they need to move forward. If you give people language to understand what they’re experiencing, it can be the impetus they need to reach out for your support.
- Don’t be shy about sharing your expertise. One way to do that is to tell a story of when you guided (mentored!) someone in their transition out of their Refusal of the Call. That person is the hero of that short story, of course, but you were with them.
- Be honest with prospective clients that a genuine Hero’s Journey® will have challenges and difficulties. That’s how we grow stronger. That’s also why it’s helpful to have a Mentor.
How do you use these stages of the Hero’s Journey®? They’re foundational to deep human transformation. Naming it can be a great encouragement to people on their own heroic journeys.
Carmala Aderman writes for professionals in the personal, professional, and spiritual development businesses. If you’d like to talk more about using the Hero’s Journey® in your marketing efforts, contact her at carmala@carmalaaderman.com or message her on LinkedIn.