What if your customer doesn’t see themselves in the transformation you are offering?
Have you ever had a big aHa in the middle of talking to someone? Something that you have been chewing on and then by talking it out with someone your thoughts come together.
This happened to me last week in a call with someone I know about a program they are developing.
Early on, when we were conversationally catching up on what we are doing today, we segued into talking about imposter syndrome.
I said I’ve learnt to see imposter syndrome as a natural part of growth. That point where you are doing and behaving differently, and not quite sure that’s the real you yet.
For me, it’s like you put on a new set of clothes and they don’t quite feel right yet. Like shoes, before you break them in. Not a feeling of unworthiness, but a feeling of unfamiliarity of who you are becoming.
I quoted Tanya Dalton’s On Purpose. She refers to a UCLA study that proved that when we talk about our future self our brain lights up the same way as when we talk about celebrities like Matt Damon or Natalie Portman. Our future self is like a familiar stranger we sort of know.
To me, the growth version of imposter syndrome occurs in that space when you are becoming that future self. When you don’t yet own the new you.
Later in the call, came the big aHa.
I was giving feedback on her sales page for the program.
Being aspirational, the page was describing the transformation that people would experience after taking the program.
I said it also needed to describe where they are today, so that they can see themselves as someone at the start of the program. Then tell them how your program will help them to get to the transformation. So that they believe they can become that aspirational transformed person.
Then I said… aHa…. It’s like that future self after the program is a familiar stranger.
Customers might have imposter syndrome around becoming that person.
Your job on the sales page is make them see they can, by first connecting with who they are today and showing them the path.
After all, that is what the program will do. Take people on that path.
Hmmm.
I’m someone who believes in focusing on the aspiration rather than the past problem. Still, to do that you have to give them a vision that the aspiration is attainable from where they are today
Does this make sense?
Do you find you have to help people see themselves in the transformation your product provides? How do you do it?
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