logged
Stop making excuses and open this email already
You’ve been hiding from this long enough.
And don’t worry…
I’m not talking about your laundry pile.
I’m talking about the way you’ve been unfairly held back in your business.
I see a lot of marketers out there teaching business owners to rely on cheap marketing tricks that basically amount to talking down to their audience, in the hopes that the initial shock effect will win long term authority and attention.
I don’t buy it.
You see this in the news and media all the time.
Cheap shots, insults, and put-downs, all aimed at creating the illusion of authority through insults and humiliation. Politicians do it to rivals. Toxic bosses do it to their teams. And even well meaning parents end up doing it to their kids.
The strategy is always the same…
Use fear and embarrassment to grab attention and force compliance.
Marketers fall into the exact same trap when they say things like, “Most people can’t write an email to save their life.” It gives the illusion of authority, but all it really does it talk down to the very people they claim to serve. And a lot of well meaning people end up caught in this trap because in the short term, it gets attention. Which feels like a reward. But in the long term, it’s poison.
It chips away at trust.
It breeds resentment instead of loyalty.
And it leaves only a fragile feeling of authority. Because the moment people stop fearing you, they stop following you.
But luckily, there’s a better way…
Here’s the deal, if you’ve been leaning on tearing other people down in your marketing to build belief and establish authority, it’s not helping. I know because I’ve been there myself. And I know you mean well too, so here’s how you can fix it.
The impulse to correct others is a natural and important part of the human experience.
Parents do it, teachers do it, leaders do it, and more…
And the problem doesn’t lie in the correction part itself. The problem lies in the how the modern world warps it. TV news, social media, even marketing gurus all push correction toward the lowest common denominator: insults, cheap shots, and humiliation. But correction doesn’t have to tear people down. If done right, it can lift them higher.
When you correct in a friendly and humorous way, your long term authority becomes undeniable.
Think about it…
You don’t look back fondly on the boss or teacher who took the opportunity to tear you down in front of all your peers. But you do probably remember the leaders in your life who made you laugh while calling you out. And you probably do remember the teacher who told you that you’d never pass if you don’t get your act together then told you how smart you were.
That’s the difference.
So if you want people to follow you because they want to, not because they feel like they need to out of fear, you’ve got to drop the habit of tearing others down to look strong. Because real authority doesn’t come from dominance.
It comes from holding people to a higher standard, even when it’s uncomfortable.
And when you do it with love instead of fear people can feel it. They know you’re invested in their growth for the long haul, not just some short-term power play.
At first, correction and insult might seem the same, because they both sting a little they both get remembered.
But only one of them comes along with a steady hand to help you grow.
So here’s my friendly correction for you:
If you’ve been hiding behind gimmicks, putting others down, or trying to sound smart instead of building trust, it’s holding you back. But the good news is, you don’t have to keep figuring it out on your own.
That’s where I come in.
If you want my help building authority through consistency and trust, the kind that makes your marketing infinitely more valuable, you can apply to work with me here:
Your pal,
Kevin Hood