Authenticity and transparency. Are they important marketing in today’s New Media marketplace? You bet! Are they, as some have proposed, the “currency” of social media? Not if you’re a business owner or marketer. Here’s why this currency concept can slowly suck your energy and profits, and what the cash-creating alternative is.

Do buzz-words equal bucks?

Authenticity & transparency are Social and New Media buzz-words. That’s fine.

The dangerous thing is when these buzz-words are used by Social Media “experts” in a way that leads people to think they are cash creators. But are they really?

There are literally billions of POOR “authentic” people around the world who are completely “transparent” in their daily lives. Most of these people struggle from day-to-day trying to make ends meet. Many are simply struggling to survive.

When’s the last time you paid your mortgage or car payment with authenticity? Are you earning interest on your transparency account at the Social Bank of America? Of course not.

Come on, currency is just a word… isn’t it?

Now you may be thinking I’ve gone too far here. That “currency” is just a word. But words do have power. The power to focus. To stir up emotions. To make connections between what’s known and what’s new. And that’s why the currency concept is a profit killer.

Look, the definition of currency is a unit of exchange that facilitates the transfer of goods and/or services.

When people say authenticity and transparency are a “currency” it’s a direct implication that there is transactional value there. Authenticity & transparency cannot be exchanged, stored or compounded as currency can. Putting the focus on authenticity and transparency creates a fuzzy financial future for business owners and marketers.

So what’s a better way to look at authenticity and transparency?

Authenticity and transparency are merely the lenses by which people perceive congruence, character and trust. To harness their power you must act like an optometrist who adjusts a person’s vision using their Optical Refractor (yep that’s what that funny machine is called.) Instead of using a complex machine with lots of numbers, you develop the skills to control and adjust what people see when they look through the lenses of authenticity and transparency.

• Authenticity and transparency are the LENSES
• Self-Influence and persuasion are the ADJUSTMENT DIALS

Self-Influence and persuasion are (and should be) the things you can actually control. The most successful people in business, entertainment and politics know these controls are the root of power and profit.

For you, understanding the inter-relationship between these lenses and adjustment dials is what will make the difference between success, struggle or failure in today’s marketplace.

Is “manipulation” a bad word?

Self-Influence, being obviously self-focused, identifies and gives you control over your strengths. Persuasion allows you to influence others. Is this manipulation. Damn right! But you’re manipulating your mouse to read this page right now aren’t you? Since when did manipulation become a bad word?

Remember those billions of POOR “authentic” people around the world who are completely “transparent” in their daily lives? They think manipulation is a bad word too. This puts them at the mercy of anyone who understands the power of the lenses and dials. Is that the position you want to be in?

Ultimately you determine what manipulation means by how you use it an what you achieve with it. With the power to focus people on your strongest assets, and the ability to control transparency — you’ll increase rapport, trust and connections. Once you’ve mastered these skills, you’ll have the ability to attract, stack, and spend as much REAL currency as you want.

Play Now:

 Science of Affluence Q & A Audio [21:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Since the “Science of Affluence” teleseminar with Kevin Hogan went way over 90-minutes including the Q&A portion, I decided to split off the Q&A portion to make it more convenient to listen/download. The audio recording of the main portion of the call is in the part one of this series, linked to above.

Enjoy!

Previous in Series

Play Now:

 Science of Affluence Audio recording [76:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Yesterday’s teleseminar call with Kevin Hogan was one of the best attended web events we’ve ever done. The topic of how to accumulate REAL wealth and live your ideal lifestyle is a hot one. Very few people are willing to address the practical truths about achieving that wealth and affluence while living in “the real world.” And that’s exactly what Kevin and I did during this call.

During the 70-minute core call we covered things like:

• What’s the hamster Wheel? And how you get off if you’re stuck on one.
• How focusing on loss and the “negative” actually move you towards wealth and success.
• The wrong way to “visualize” that holds many people back, and the right way to harness the power of vision.
• 3 Wealth wounds that actively work against accumulating wealth
• Why equity is King (or Queen)
• How following advice laid out in The Secret or The Law of Attraction can damage or totally destroy your opportunities for wealth.
• The “Thread” concept, and how small, quick, carefully chosen daily actions create a clear path to wealth and affluence.
• And more…

The Q&A portion of this call is in a separate post, immediately following this one. Link is provided above under the “Other relevant posts in this series” heading.

More on the Science of Affluence LIVE! Las Vegas Event

This call was just a taste of what will be covered at Kevin’s 3-day LIVE! “Science of Affluence” event at the awesome Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas October 16, 17 and 18. If you enjoyed this call you must join us at the LIVE! NO-pitch workshop event in Vegas. I promise you’ll leave on Sunday with not just wealth-building knowledge — you’ll leave with actions already taken and momentum already established.

Get the full details an register at http://snipurl.com/affluence.
Kevin is increasing the registration investment in the next 48-hours from the current $1,597, so you should reserve your seat quickly. There is also a convenient 6-installment option if you prefer.

In either case, remember to use the special coupon code I shared in the teleseminar “JPM.” That gets you $120 off your registration!

And if you really want the special Vegas VIP experience, choose the VIP Package that includes private limo to and from the Luxor, and joining Kevin, Deb an I for an intimate dinner at one of the best restaurants in Vegas Friday night of the event. It’s your chance to get personal and direct answers from Kevin about achieving your wealth goals, or proven advice on selling to the affluent. It’s just $2,797 for the VIP Package when you register today at http://snipurl.com/affluence.

Next in Series

Whether you sell to the affluent, or just want to create more wealth for yourself — you want to attend this Free teleseminar on Tuesday Aug. 19th at 7pm Pacific. You’ll learn the facts on how wealthy people think, what they believe, and what actions they take to accumulate millions of dollars in cash and net worth. If you want to get there yourself, you need to hear the information Kevin will be sharing during this Free teleseminar.

Kevin Hogan is one of the world’s leading experts on persuasion. He’s the best-selling author of the The Psychology of Persuasion, The Science of Influence, and Covert Persuasion. His research and work with business people around the world has led to scientific discoveries and practical strategies for wealth creation.

Register for Tuesday’s Free Teleseminar "Science of Affluence" with Best-selling Author Kevin Hogan now:

Tuesday August 19th, 7pm-8pm Pacific Space is limited.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/125277509

Look, some people work hard and get paid $75,000 per year. Other people put in the same amount of effort and get paid $750,000 per year. Both work hard, so what’s the difference?

In this teleseminar you’ll learn the facts about the difference between millionaires and the middle class. Almost anyone can choose which category they want to be in. This is your chance to discover what wealthy people really do to get that way.

You’ll definitely want to have your journal or a notebook handy for this teleseminar. During this rapid-fire 45-minute session we’ll be discussing:

• Scientific research and data on affluence vs.. one person’s ideas or philosophy

• Which thoughts and beliefs help, and which ones actually cause self-sabotage

• How this no B.S. approach to wealth accumulation works in the real world

• The actions you need to take (and controls you need in place,) to achieve the wealth generation goals you want

We’ll also take a few minutes to let you know more about Kevin’s "Escape to Personal Freedom" event at the luxurious Luxor Resort in Las Vegas this October. I’ll be giving a 1/2-day presentation at this fully interactive all content, NO-pitch event. So on this teleseminar I’ll also let you in on a special gift I have for you and how you can get some really special private access too.

This teleseminar is for you if you want to sell to the affluent, already are selling to the affluent and want to sell more, or if you just want to accumulate massive amounts of wealth for yourself. You need to know these facts, so register for the Free teleseminar now.

The teleseminar is Tuesday August 19th at 7pm Pacific — so grab your virtual seat now:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/125277509

*Note: MBO® Club Members and students of the Tribal Seduction "Marketing for Life" Program will have live speaking priveleges for Q&A at the end of the teleseminar. Please register using the link above and Nancy will get you the special access code. Other attendees will be in listening mode but you’ll still be able to submit questions via the webinar chat feature.

What’s the secret to attracting attention and winning over people’s hearts, minds and pocketbooks? It’s the ability to influence and persuade. It’s what all business owners, sales pros and politicians want — but most start from the wrong place

Persuasion start with Self-Influence™

Mention persuasion to the average person and ask them where persuasion is focused — outward (on other people) or inward.

99 out of 100 will say "on other people." After all, isn’t the idea to win friends and influence people? Isn’t that what we should be focused on?

Yeah, sure - that’s the ultimate goal. But unless you master Self-Influence™ your persuasion skills will always come across as mechanical, un-natural.

Think about it. If you can’t influence and motivate yourself to take action — how can you ever effectively motivate anyone else?

The fact is you won’t. People’s perception will immediately be one of suspicion. Not a good place to start a relationship, I’m sure you agree.

Have you ever heard of Harry Houdini?

Well he wasn’t like today’s magicians, only interested in filling a theatre in Vegas. He was an artist. He could make an elephant disappear in the middle of a theatre filled with people, and do you know how he did that?

By controlling people’s perceptions.

Until you control people’s perception of you, your brand, your persona, and who you really are at your core – you will never attain the levels of influence and persuasion that you want.

And yes! That applies online too because there is NO hiding behind your screen. Not anymore!

Online persuasion

It’s easy to see influence and persuasion at work in the off-line world. You meet people and immediately begin either building or breaking rapport with your first face-to-face meeting. You’ve got all five senses working for you.

At first glance online persuasion of that same level may appear to be a near impossible goal. At best, most people see online persuasion as a process of mechanical manipulation; tricks and black-hat triggers used to induce people to hand over their cash.

If we were still living in the online world of Web 1.0, true online persuasion would be difficult. That was an online world where conversations were limited, and being a Marketplace Molester was the bastardized definition of begin “persuasive.”

But have you noticed that going online is a different type of experience today?

With the New Media marketplace powered by people and participation, a more natural form of persuasion can be employed. Audio and video along with instant interaction and ongoing conversations simply make online persuasion another dimension of the off-line face-to-face world.

“The catch”

Online or offline — you can’t just jump in and start trying to influence others. That’s like building a pyramid from the top down.

(For a full-size printer-friendly version, download the Tribal Seduction Power Pyramid™ PDF here.)

Far too many people start from the wrong place and fail to establish the foundation that will support their successfully persuading an ever growing Tribe in today’s marketplace.

You need to start from the bottom up, inside out.

Here’s why…

If you want people to trust you and fall under your spell, it’s not about “making up” a persona or image. You need to take your strengths and the magnetic aspects of your persona and make them larger than life.

To maximize your ability to persuade in marketing, sales, management, or any area of life – that means starting with understanding your natural communication style.

We each have our own unique Communication Code™. That code determines how we communicate with the outside world, how others perceive us, and how we talk to ourselves. It’s an essential element in the Self-Influence formula. And it’s the easiest place to start.

The good thing is that, when it comes to your natural communication style, you can adapt. And that ability to adapt gives you control. Control over how others perceive you, and control over how you manage and motivate yourself.

The better you understand yourself, the better you will be at getting what you want. In fact, what you don’t know about yourself could keep you from getting what you want.

Today’s New Media Marketplace isn’t Romper Room

Focusing on Self-Influence first takes patience and maturity. It’s not for everyone. It’s a matter of doing things a little differently to make a LOT more money.

Some people are still looking for the easy way to riches. The magic bullet or secret potion. And that’s ok for people who want to end up struggling and eeking out a living waiting for that pie-in-the-sky payday.

But if you’re serious about achieving the wealth and lifestyle you want, sorry – playtime is over!

Houdini used Self-Influence to survive his life-threatening illusions and win over the world. Moguls like Oprah and Trump have mastered it. Branding power-houses like Gene Simmons and thought leaders Seth Godin know it, live it and profit from it.

They all know their practical strengths, Communication and Motivation Codes™. They mastered Self-Influence long ago and excel at persuading though perception… the reason they are where they are today.

How are you doing?

If you’re trying to persuade your Tribe and influence groups of people, have you worked your way up the Power Pyramid™; constantly working to improve your Self-Influence™ and Personal Persuasion?

• If not, what’s holding you back? What is your greatest challenge in creating a persona and packaged perception that will persuade your Tribe?

If you’re not happy with the results you’re getting at the top of the Power Pyramid, what are you doing about it?

• Are you willing to focus on influencing yourself BEFORE trying to win the hearts, minds and pocketbooks of millions?

• Have you identitifed your practical strengths; the abilites and skills that will add value to other people’s lives?
• Have you broken your Communication Code™ to determine how the stress of challenges, interaction with people, details and even day-to-day tasks impact how others percieve you?
• What about your Motivational Code™? Do you know exactly what gets you jumping out of bed in the mornign ready to roll without any coffee?

• How are you packaging those together with your Persona to create a Personal Brand that creates the perception you want people to have?

Spill your mind. Share your thoughts in some graffiti down below.

>> To see how Self-Influence translates into the power to persuade crowds and create raving fans, download the Tribal Seduction Power Pyramid™ PDF here.)

We recently added a free bonus download for new subscribers to the Seducer’s Journal here at TribalSeduction.com — the Tribal Marketing Playbook We sent a download link to all current subscribers last week, but if you missed that email we’ll be resending that in a follow-up email later today — so keep an eye out for it.

In the Tribal Marketing Playbook you’ll learn:

• What the Tribal Marketing construct is

• Why seeing your target audience just as one Tribe will short-change your results

• How to use the Tribal Marketing Power Matrix to leverage your time for bigger returns with less effort

• How using only the "obvious" approach to marketing to a Tribe can cost you more time, effort and money than the Tribal Marketing Influence Pathway

• Why the Influence Ladder is your key to high-leverage persuasion (online or off-line)

• And lots of interactive strategy sheets to put ideas you get into action. (Why it’s called a "Playbook" )

You definitely want to grab this Playbook and devour every page as quickly as possible. It will open your eyes to an entire new way of marketing and growing business. One that’s more fun and profitable!

So as a current subscriber to watch for your direct email later today. And if you like what your Tribal Marketing Playbook does to expand possibilities for you and give you new actionable ideas for marketing your business, please invite your friends to subscribe to the Seducer’s Journal.

If you’re not yet a subscriber to The Seducer’s Journal, you can grab a free 6-month subscription by registering at the top of the left-hand sidebar, or on the home page.

Enjoy!

Madison Avenue advertising firms do it. Mainstream marketers do it. Political campaigns do it. They all piggy-back on the emotional anchoring created by famous singers, actors, and sports figures. It’s a marketing strategy with a proven track-record. People bond emotionally with people, with personal brands, and with your Primal Key™.

But what about online you when you’re marketing with New Media? How can you harness the momentum created by emotional anchoring and piggy-back off of words, quotes, images, or sounds that people are already familiar with?

It starts by understanding the simple truth of why emotional anchoring works in marketing. That is…

People buy what they like, and they like what they know

Familiarity breeds comfort. When you’re familiar with something or someone, you know what to expect. That makes things comfortable. More importantly (for marketing and sales purposes) familiarity and it’s offspring comfort both act to turn off the natural defense mechanism (skepticism) we all employ to protect ourselves.

Leveraging emotional anchors works so well in marketing because it accelerates familiarity and comfort. Its’ impact is instant, subconscious, and undeniable when it comes to boosting conversions.

Now, you may not be able to afford to pay Beyonce or Tiger Woods to appear in commercials for you. But you CAN leverage existing visual and auditory anchors, and using New Media Marketing — tie them to you, your product or your service. And you can do it in much easier, and much more cost effective way!

Here’s an example to get those Tribal Seduction mindset wheels spinning in your head.

A few good marketing ideas…

If I say "You can’t handle the truth!"… what movie do you immediatley think of?

"A Few Good Men." Right! It’s one of the most often quoted movie lines.

On the outside chance you haven’t actually seen the movie, you probably know what movie it came from and the context in which it was said. It’s familiar and it’s comfortable because it’s known.

The line was used in the climax of the movie. In what also was the most emotionally charged scene of the movie.

So where does New Media come in on this?And how does this help you with your marketing?

Well, lets take a look at a couple examples of how this famous movie quote was used in online videos. A few notes on what was done right. What could be done better. And what creative ideas you can come up with after looking at this mini-case study.

First the original clip

Let’s put things in context with the actual unedited clip from the movie.

OK, pretty powerful scene right? One of the most memorable in recent movie history.

So what can be done with this in New Media?

Follow along with me for a few minutes and find out.

Now, two examples: the good, the bad, and the "could be better"…

First; here’s funny adaptation that you’ll get a kick out of… especially if you’ve ever been attacked for being a good creative marketer.

Video Example #1:

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a mistake I see far too many marketers and entrepreneurs making. They are being lured into seductive social media communities, wooed by and caught up in the passion of these interactive environments. They without the right strategy, they invest hours of their time forgetting that the only tangible benefit (their database of friends or followers) is controlled by a 3rd party who can change the rules of the game at any time.

A perfect example is how most users of Twitter have had a rude awakening over the last 48-hours or so. They awoke yesterday to find their “following” and “followers” lists slashed in half… or more! Hundreds and even thousands of contacts gone! POOF!

Twitter’s explanation:

Poor excuse, but who’s to blame?

Twitter’s “spam” excuse is a poor one. I and several other people I know on Twitter personally visit the page of each new Follower as new requests come in. So to see several hundred followers disappear and have Twitter say they “spammers” is clearly BS.

That’s to be expected and nothing to get upset about. It’ a danger you should expect. Twitter can do and say anything they want. And so can any other Social Network. Any of them can change the rules of the game whenever they want. They can arbitrarily put caps on the number of followers or friends you can have. Even delete people from your list at their whim.

See, the problem is not with Twitter, Facebook, or any other “free” Social Networking channel. The blame rests with you if you leave it to these services to have control over your contact list. Harsh, but true.

Some people learn the hard way that Social Networks are merely communication channels, not storage facilities. Let’s help you avoid any hard lessons in the future.

Protecting yourself and safe-guarding your hard work

So how do you protect yourself from the painful loss of contacts and connections you’ve worked hard to gain from Social Networks? It’s simple!

Keep the focus on your New Media Marketing Hub!

Social Networks are ONLY channels to leverage. They are NOT to be trusted with your most valuable asset; your contacts. They are conduits through which you attract and connect — but the core of all your efforts, the home base for all your Tribe – must be your Hub!

Your New Media Marketing Hub is where the ever-upwardly spiraling Tribal Seduction ™ Action Trinity (Attract-Connect-Convert) yields the greatest long-term results.

Your New Media Marketing Hub is the Alpha and the Omega of ALL that you do online. It is what will grow and protect your Tribe, your business, and your bank account. Your Hub is the home where your love, passion and primary attention belongs. Not out on the streets of the Social Networking communities.

What a New Media Marketing Hub IS and IS NOT

Before we take a look at the 5 simple steps to maximizing the profit impact of your New Media Marketing Hub, let’s get clear on what a hub is and is not.

• A New Media Marketing Hub is NOT a blog.

  A blog helps with two parts of the Tribal Seduction? Action Triad: Attraction and Connection. Conversion cannot be done efficiently on a regular blog.

• A New Media Marketing Hub is NOT a regular sales site.

  This type of site may be optimized for Conversions, but no matter how well written the copy, no matter how persuasive the videos, no matter how shocking the offer is – it will fail miserably when it comes to the Attraction and Connection of the Action Triad. (And in many cases, this type of site works against you no matter how you send people there, even from your blog.)

• A New Media Marketing Hub IS a single site that combines Attraction, Connection, and Conversion.

  By having one central destination for your Tribe, the hard pitch can fall away. Instead, with a little bit of careful planning, application of Tribal Seduction principles and an understanding of human nature — you can strategically hide “pathways” to conversion that your Tribe will discover on their own.

These seemingly hidden pathways are a core component of Tribal Seduction mastery. When you leverage your Hub this way, people discover offerings on their own. And when you have automated persuasion triggers that are activated when they arrive on those particular pages – they own the decision. You are only there as the trusted provider, not hard-pushing salesperson.

When it’s done properly, no rapport is broken…
And even if you don’t make a sale, trust is actually increased!

More on this important Tribal Seduction principle in the future. But for now, suffice it to say that if you have people jumping around to different URLs, you will break rapport, lose sales… and most damaging of all – chip away trust!

How to keep a profitable perspective and make your “Hub” work for you

So how do you maximize the profit impact of your New Media Marketing Hub?

I’ve kept it real simple here and broken things down into 5 steps. Some require you to take action, other things happen auto-magically. And I’ve provided some images to help you envision how this would work for you.

Steps 1 and 2

In Step 1 you start at your hub with the creation of content that’s valuable to your Tribe. You choose a media format, post it and you’re off!

In Step 2, like the rays of the sun shining out across the sky; you begin to radiate additional sources of exposure for your new content. Some of these destinations you may have to actually take action yourself. (BLOGi360 members are lucky since most all of Step 2 is automated within the system as soon as they hit the “Save” button.)

Step 3

In Step 3 you (or one of your team) must

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