As Rob Buurman told me in our conversation, changing the system is about creating action or messaging that makes it easier for the opposition to agree with you (or harder to disagree with you). Tilting the scales so to speak. Even when you're not trying to change a whole system, this is marketing. And its principles are the same for your business.
Because, even when a customer could use what you sell and understands what it is that you sell, it's not a given that he or she will buy it. It's always more convenient to do nothing. The status quo has the momentum. Because it might not work, it takes a leap of faith. Faith to trust in you and the efficacy of the product. Your marketing needs to create a pull of wanting your solution and a story that makes it easier to jump.
As social creatures, most of the lack of faith isn't about benefits or proof of concept. It's about status and affiliation. So, can you make it easy to agree with you by clearly showing that doing so will increase those?
Status: Will having the product make me be seen as important (topdog)? Will I look like the smart one for going for it? Can I show that I flexed it (like the male peacock wasting so much of its resources on its pretty feathers)? Buying Apple or Tesla, the Crimean land grab, and trade wars are examples of this.
Affiliation: Is this something that people like me do? Are others doing it? What are the cool kids doing these days? Smoking (or not smoking), eating vegetarian, opening the door for someone, and getting a tattoo are examples of this.
(inspired by Seth Godin's recent post on arguments and outcomes)
Besides this, Rob and I spoke on De Gebakken Peren Podcast about building a team at Recycling Netwerk Benelux that can do more than him by himself, how to become dispensable, and how they deal with adversity. Listen here.
