George Kao offers five strategies for ethical marketers frustrated by competitors using manipulative tactics: call out the behavior publicly, focus on responsive prospects, care more, be patient, and show compassion toward competitors and yourself.
Since you watch my videos, you're probably trying to do marketing in a more honest and caring way. But sometimes you might feel discouraged when you see competitors doing marketing in a way that you know is manipulative because you know the truth about your industry and what it really takes for clients to transform. And so you might feel like, gosh, it's so unfair that my competitors, some of them, are doing marketing in a deceptive and persuasive way that's not really good for that client. But then because they use trickery, they're able to get that client to sign on and say yes to them and then that client can't say yes to me. So how do we deal with this? How do we think about this and what actions do we take? So I'm going to give you some ideas. Some of these ideas are philosophical to help you change your mindset on it. And then some of them are practical. So let me start with the practical one. Call out what they are doing. Don't use their names, but in your content. Talk about what some people in your industry, again not using names, are doing. Expose the tactics that are happening that you feel is manipulative and unethical so that you can educate your audience and whoever sees it about what is a better way of doing things that is more truly honest and caring. You know that I do some of that in my own videos and my posts and in the notes of this video, I will link to some of my best ones. But I will tell you that every time I expose what's going on in my industry, some of the unethical and manipulative practices, those tend to be some of the posts that are shared more, shared most often by forward by my audience because they realize, oh my God, their eyes have become open to what's really going on and what's being done to them so that they can don't have to fall for those tricks again. So do that, call them, write about those practices in your content occasionally, not all the time necessarily, but at least once in a while. The second tip I have for you is to focus on those who are responsive to your message. You know, you might be thinking, I've got to save everyone. And that is a very dangerous mindset to have, is that you've got to prevent all of my, all everyone in my audience and everybody who could possibly become my client. I want to save them from falling for those manipulative practices that are quick cash, that get clients to sign up quickly. No, just focus on the ones that are open Even if you try to, it's really going to be really hard to persuade somebody to not fall for some unethical practices if they are intrigued by them. I mean, I see this all the time. Lots of people in my audience, they first encounter me and they're kind of interested in. I like that George is more spiritual, more gentle, more ethical. But then they're still intrigued by people who promised them quick riches, quick money, six figures, easy ways to do marketing, and oh, my dog was just crazy running around here. So you know what? And then they are still intrigued by it. What am I going to do? Try to persuade them, strong arm them to not do that? No, I can just be myself, keep sharing my message, allow them to learn that lesson if it is karmically needed for them to learn it. And I will still be here. I will still be here when they are ready. If they are meant for me, okay, if I'm meant for them. The third thing is to care more than your competitors are willing to care. And that's really the bottom line, right? It's because you care. That's why you don't want to use those practices that are unethical and manipulative. But care more in other ways too. Care more in your content, care more in how you interact with them. Your competitors might not be willing to interact with those people one to one to answer questions, even if they might not sign up. I used to be this way. I used to be, I think, manipulative myself back in the early days before I learned better. And I wasn't willing to have one on one conversations with anybody, like even over email or social media unless I was trying to sell them on something. Right? I mean, that's an extreme, but that's what I mean. Care more than the others are willing to do. Number four is patience. Patience. I think about how the best teachers and the best mentors for us, they don't force us into transforming into the way they want us to transform as soon as possible. They are patient and they say, hey, here is what I've seen is a good way to go. I really recommend you do it. Here's how you do it. But if you are not ready for it, I'll be here when you're ready. When the student is ready, the teacher appears, even though the teacher has been there the whole time. So be that teacher. Be patient. And this also reminds me of, if I may say, just for a moment for those who are open to my spirituality. Our spirit guides are incredibly patient with us. And God whispers to us in a small, still small voice, right? Whereas you might say the devil. Now, again, I'm just using the devil as a metaphor. The devil is very tempting and very wily and very instant like, gives us instant gratification, right? Whereas the good spirits, our spirit guides, whispers to us what is right to do. And it usually takes patience. And they are patiently waiting until we are ready to go back to a higher path again. So be that patient. And I'm here. I'm here for life. I'm in this. I'm going to be creating content, you know, three times a week for, I hope, for the next several decades. So I'm going to be here. If you're intrigued to go follow some get rich quick schemes, go ahead. I'll still be here. And I hope you will be patient as well. You don't have to wait decades, but if you'll be willing to be patient with people, they will come back. And I've seen this happen again and again for me too. People who came to me years ago didn't believe in my authentic methods even just a few years ago. Eventually, many of them come back because they realize, oh, the others don't care about me. Not everyone else, but just some of the others don't care, just like you're experiencing with your competitors too. And finally, the fifth idea is compassion. And what I mean here you might be surprising to you, compassion for your competitors, because they are trying to do the best in their own way. They have good intentions. They're just trying to help people. Even though they might be a little bit confused on how to help them, they're trying to help them and they think that they need to manipulate and deceive people unethically to help them. Does that make sense? So have compassion, just like you wish others would have compassion on you. And for example, I used to be, when I first started my business, 2009, 2010, I look back now and I go, I can't believe that George was so unethical, manipulative, dishonest, uncaring. You know, back then I was trying to be one of the good guys already. And now, thankfully, I've evolved some. And I look back and I can't believe the way I was. But I wish back then I wanted others to have compassion on me. And now I bet if I talk to the George cow from three years from now that George will probably say, george, I can't believe the 2017 George was doing some things that were not totally ethical. I'm sure I'm going to keep evolving and I hope that others will have compassion on me now and always. So bring that compassion to yourself and your competitors as well. I hope this is helpful. I'm open to seeing which of these five points you found most helpful and are interested to apply. And until the next video, I'm George Kao and wishing you a calm, patient, authentic marketing process that brings you the right people at the right times. Know that it will care more than the others care and it will happen. Be well.
