Remembering just what it is I do for a living

I had a wonderful lunchtime meeting today with someone who is passionate about turning their idea into a real business. She’s passionate that there *has* to be a way for her to turn something she loves into something people like me can take to market.

Her passion and enthusiasm reminded me of my favorite quote of all time, courtesy of Hugh MacLeod:

The market for something to believe in is infinite.

Closely related to this sentiment from Seth Godin:

What marketers actually sell: Not powder or chemicals or rubber or steel or silicon or talk or installations or even sugary water.

What marketers sell is hope.

The reason is simple: people need more. We run out. We need it replenished. Hope is almost always in short supply.

Hope, something to believe in. Sounds trite if you leave it at that. But think about the legions of people who are fans of successful Web entrepreneurs like Brian Clark (Copyblogger/Thesis fame), or follow the various prophets of the affiliate marketing industry. Or religiously read and watch the rock stars of the social media world. All of those people are looking for (and buying into) hope – hope that they too, through simple tactics and determined effort, can create the career or business they always dreamed of.

In the same vein, my lunch companion is looking to buy into some of that variety of hope. It’s what I, as a marketer and a budding consultant, am really in the business of selling. I’m selling to her and others the hope that I can make their lives easier, their business more successful, their brands more famous.

As I continue to (quietly so far) spin up my own independent consulting shop, I need to remember this truth and weave it into everything I do, say, and offer to prospective clients and partners.