Have you found yourself saying something that doesn’t sound like you and you’ve literally never said before then you have a moment where you realized that you were talking just like your mentor or someone else that you follow?
We all tend to mimic gestures of the people we like and are influenced by the voices of the people around us (it’s a proven sales tactic for professionals!) But it might become problematic if you don’t realize that you’ve lost your own unique voice in exchange for industry jargon and just regurgitated words.
Today we’re going to dive into one of the traps that I see happening a lot in the online space—the MARKETING PARROT TRAP. Listen to this episode and give yourself the gift of uniqueness to ensure that when you do show up, it is truly YOU coming out.
Episode Highlights:
- What exactly is Marketing PARROT Trap?
- Why do we continue to mimic and parrot other people? (even if we’re aware and we don’t want to do it!)
- Can parroting actually damage your brand?
- 3 Actionable steps you can do to make sure you don’t slip into this marketing parrot trap
Episode Show Notes
Mirroring or mimicry or imitation is totally NORMAL!
It’s totally ingrained in what we do. We often do this unconsciously because we’re uncertain about the best course of action or because we want to fit in. Alain Samson Ph.D., wrote an article which I found really fascinating called, Copy That, from Psychology Today where he talked about us, consumers. He said:
“As consumers, we may order the same meal that we just saw another person eat, while being unaware of the copying process. Or we may consciously copy others by asking the waiter for the most popular item on the menu. Strategic copying makes particular sense when there’s an abundance of choice, such as for books or movies.”
We usually associate copying with conformity and we want to feel like we belong in this online space so we start mimicking and copying to fit in. But there comes a point where we have to question and ask ourselves, are we operating our business from the direction of where we’re going or are we following what we think we should be doing because we’re trying to fit in?
Here’s 3 actionable steps to ensure that you don’t slip into the marketing parrot trap
1) Audit your inputs
Take inventory of the things you are consuming—who you’re listening and watching to and ensure that you are good with this person, that you like how they communicate, you have alignment with their values and you have respect for how they do business. Be really clear why you’re following them.
2) Be cautious with swipes and templates
Don’t be cautious or wary of the templates. They’re wonderful but they remove the necessity for you to think so be cautious in terms of how you blindly follow it.
It’s important to be able to question the template to the root of what are you trying to achieve and what’s the end goal? Be willing to challenge it, not to totally reconstruct it but to rephrase it.
3) Ask – How would I say this?
As you’re going through the swipes and templates and you find something that’s not really coming naturally off of your tongue and feels uncomfortable for you, ask yourself, is it uncomfortable because it’s new? Or it’s uncomfortable because it’s not a language you would typically use?
Do not use words or language because some guru online tells you these are the magic words to use or words that you would not normally use because that’s the opposite of being authentic with your voice. Keeping the integrity is what the goal of communication is. Remember that your uniqueness of how you communicate things is what’s going to allow you to stand out and really connect with your audience.
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Meera Kothand: Speaking to an Audience That Doesn’t Look Like You – Ep #107
Zafira Rajan: Bringing Personality Through Your Voice (even if you’re an introvert) – Ep #106
3 Things Influential Entrepreneurs Do When Talking To Their Audience – Ep #105
How To Articulate Your Thoughts So They Make Sense To Others – Ep #02
Books / Links mentioned in the episode:
The Language of Trust: Selling Ideas in a World of Skeptics, Michael Maslansky
