The Stars Never Interrupt Me
I’m an introvert. Always have been. Painfully shy when stretched too far.
I love people. Interacting, talking, learning. No holds barred conversations exhilarate me like a thrill ride edging out of control. I leave conferences and speaking gigs ready to be alone and … um … kind of cranky.
It’s then that I need permission to think my own thoughts, find my own feet, realign with the universe, on my own.
After a day of conference talks and highly engaging meetings, I went to dinner with two of the best folks in the world. They were fun and lovely. The food was marvelous. The conversation got better for me when it started to slow. It was a nice transition. We stayed up late talking about companies and events and ways to use the web in this new conversational world.
One by one, the others went their ways to crash. I went for a walk with the night sky, delighted to see Orion waiting like an old friend. I got thinking about people and stars. Then I thought about stars as the original shiny objects — how, unlike the shiny things on the Internet, stars don’t demand our attention. Stars are experts at permission marketing. Here are seven things I learned about permission marketing from looking at the stars.
- The Opt In. Stars shine with understated elegance and beauty waiting for me to opt in.
- The Respect. Stars don’t interrupt, steal, or borrow my time. They anticipate and await my attention with a distance that allows me to move, breathe and live my life without them, if I choose.
- The Signal without Noise. Stars don’t draw overdue attention to themselves. Falling starts don’t fall in my face to get me to notice them.
- The Relevance. When I look at the stars the message is always fresh, inspiring, and meaningful in my life.
- The Emotional Attraction. I always feel better for having participated in a star show.
- The Viral Response. I always want to tell folks about what I saw and how it moved me.
- The Delivery on the Promise. I’ve never been disappointed by looking at the stars.
Stars are available, relevant, and personal. Even when we look at them from afar, they put on a show.
If we take a cue from the stars, we can offer value that will lift folks up and make them feel good to pass it on. And like the stars we won’t have to worry about having an audience who values us.
People and stars have a lot more in common than just what we’re made of.
Have you seen any shining offers lately?
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your web presence.
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Wow!!! Just when I thought you wrote the best post I’ve ever read, then there’s this one.
Concepts so amazingly articulated –
Thank YOU!
Hi sunshine!
Thank you for stopping by to say that. I was hardly here today. It’s nice to come home to a kind word.
I love Orion and friends like you.
Beatiful, Liz. I love it. What you describe is exactly how I like to be. I too am shy when you get down to it. And I hate to get in people’s faces.
But here’s a question I’ve been asking myself (maybe you can help). Is my business slow because I act this way? I question this because my bills come faster than my sales.
What do you do to get the word out without getting in people’s faces?
Hi Todd,
When I feel fully expressed, it doesn’t bother me to talk about what I do. When I don’t feel that I’ve earned someone’s trust yet, I feel pushy. Go for the trust, you’ll get the long-term relationships.
Liz
Your posts so often stir both my memories and imagination – so thank you again for a wonderful post.
I wonder if when you add up #’s 1 thru 7 if it doesn’t equal inspiration ?
So whether we looking up to the stars or to one another, I think in some way at our best we seek inspiration.
Again, great thought provoking post.
“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” Vincent van Gogh
Ah, Kevin,
The stars always make me feel at home where I’m standing. I feel just the right size for the picture, never too big or too small. Stars and people … we work well together.
Thanks, Liz. Your comment #5 resonates with me. I like to think long term. Only last month when short term cash-flow was tight did I start thinking short term. As of today, actually, things are better on that front and I can stop worrying. Now back to building relationships and sharing what I do. I really do love my work. I know it bubbles over to those I meet. Thanks for being a great role model for me. It’s good to know that I’m doing the right thing… just have to be patient for long term fruits.
Todd,
Trust in yourself and find the folks who trust you. The answer is there. 🙂
Wow this is so amazing, I have this funny stories about stars one night I was out of my terrace and look up the sky there are so many stars that night and I notice 1 star that to me looks like a wishing star so closed my eyes and quickly make a wish when I open my eyes I still see a star like it was moving it came to my senses that It wasn’t a star at all it was an airplane oh well 😉
Hi Julienne!
I think a wish like that deserves to come true, especially if you were wishing you might be going somewhere. heh heh
Thanks, Liz. 🙂