Seth Godin on Customer Attraction, Brand Loyalty, and His Own Writing Process

Nobody in the online marketing space or sales world needs an introduction to Seth Godin. Seth has become synonymous with content marketing and the new approach to customer attraction he calls permission marketing. He believes that because of the negative perceptions people have about marketing and sales and because of how people function these days, no entrepreneur or business should be out chasing customers in that old-style way that causes pressure and discomfort. In this great conversation, Seth discusses why customer attraction is so powerful and explains what brands can do to create a great customer attraction approach, which solves every other problem by default.

Seth Godin on Customer Attraction, Brand Loyalty, and His Own Writing Process - Ep 102Click To Tweet

If you have customer attraction you don’t need to raise capital and technology will never be an issue

Imagine if your company was one of those brands that seemed to automatically attract customers because of your culture, your values, or your vibe. What would that do for your opportunities and potential for success? Seth Godin insists that client attraction is THE thing – it’s what makes every company that is successful, successful and it’s what makes every other problem in business less of a problem. In this conversation Seth and Anthony discuss some of the things required to attract customers like that, so don’t miss this sage advice from two guys who have put a lot of thought into the issue.

Brand loyalty is declining because brands have not kept their part of the bargain ~ Seth Godin

There is a decent amount of talk in marketing and sales circles about the decline of brand loyalty. When asked whether it’s true, Seth Godin says that it is and that the main cause is that brands have not kept their part of the bargain. It’s easy to SAY your brand will be something specific for your customers but to actually pull it off requires a kind of thought, intentionality, and consistency that most brand leaders have not dedicated enough time to. Seth has some insight into how that sort of backsliding on your brand promise happens and what you can do to regain ground, so be sure you hear this episode of In The Arena.

Brand Loyalty is declining because brands have not kept their part of the bargain ~ Seth GodinClick To Tweet

Failure isn’t that big of a deal, so don’t take yourself so seriously. If you are honest and do good work, you’ll get another chance ~ Seth Godin

Most of us regret our failures on some level. But the failure doesn’t have to be the final word if we are about more than success or failure. Seth Godin says that the entrepreneurs and creators that truly make a difference are the ones who are honest and do good work that truly benefits people. A person or brand with that kind of character deeply ingrained will always recover from mistakes and find new opportunities on the other side. That’s the reality he’s seen over and over as he’s worked with founders, creators, and students and is a place from which you can draw hope the next time you fail.

Why Seth Godin doesn’t like to talk about his writing process

As one who writes every day, Anthony was especially curious how Seth Godin, another person who writes every day and has written many books, approaches writing as a practice. Seth said that he feels that revealing his writing approach would not serve others well simply because we all tend to take on the practices of those we admire rather than discover and develop our own unique approach that fits the way we are wired. In his mind, anyone who can verbally communicate can write. The challenge is learning to write the way you speak – naturally, with emphasis and passion, and with clarity that is truly helpful to those listening (reading). Though Seth didn’t reveal his “magic formula” for effective and prolific writing, what he does share about the realities of writing is very helpful. Don’t miss it.

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Outline of this great episode

Why Seth Godin needs no introduction… here he is
Seth’s description of himself during high school
Why Seth doesn’t like to talk about his writing process
The point Seth is driving home when telling his personal failure stories
Why are entrepreneurs drawn to the transactional side instead of the exceptional side?
How customer attraction trumps everything for entrepreneurs
Why brand loyalty is declining and how small companies can capitalize on the trend
Seth’s explanation of the mindset young people need to have in our present day
How to help people do something – get them started with small things
What is a book? It’s a tool, nothing more