Posted by Andrea Conway Law of Attraction coach for small business success

Dear spiritual entrepreneur:

Do you wish there were a better way to market and sell your products and services? If you said yes, read on, because…

Today I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 15 of the Virtual Blog Tour of author Lynn Serafinn, whose book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell launches on Amazon tomorrow, Tuesday December 13, 2011. (Get complete launch info here.)

I was fortunate to participate as a panelist in Lynn’s  7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit last week. It was an amazing event, truly groundbreaking. If you did not get a chance to register, I will let you know in a moment how you can still receive all the audios at no charge. Lynn really impressed me with her approach and integrity – I’m very excited about the book and delighted to share today’s interview with you.

Andrea Conway: Lynn, in your view, how does our relationship with Source Energy affect our marketing?

Lynn Serafinn: Before I address that question, Andrea, the first question we have to ask is what exactly is our relationship with Source? What do we mean by Source, and what does Source mean to us? Is it a tangible force? An ephemeral force? Both? How do we view it? Do we see it as something separate from ourselves, or do we see ourselves as intrinsically connected to Source? Do we see it as something to be dominated? Do we see ourselves as dominated by it? Or do we have a loving, interconnected relationship with it?

How we answer that question will determine how our relationship with Source affects the way we do business in general, and ultimately the way we do marketing. For example, back in the days when the first Europeans landed on North American soil, we saw a clash in the way two disparate cultures related to Source. The Native Americans had an interconnected, interdependent relationship with Source. They had no notion of land or resource ownership. Now consider the Europeans, who, at that time in history, viewed the natural world as separate from themselves, and believed that humankind had dominion over the resources of the Earth. Because you can only own that which you view as separate from and less powerful than yourself, they had a notion of land and resource ownership. This began a legacy in which Western industrialists felt entitled to exploit natural resources as they saw fit. The gross imbalances we see in the environment now caused by mass extraction and destruction of natural resources, can only come about when our relationship is one of Disconnection from Source.

Now, here’s where marketing comes in. When an economic culture has been founded upon a Disconnection from Source, then it gives free rein to marketers to create marketing campaigns that encourage over-consumption, which creates even more environmental imbalance. And ultimately, our Disconnection from Source not only impacts the natural world, but it also creates spiritual feelings of loss, isolation and lack. So when marketing is founded upon this assumption that we are separate from Source, we are also damaging our spiritual and emotional well being.

Andrea Conway: Thank you, that gives us a lot to think about. Next question for you: Tell us about what you are calling the 3 Furies of marketing?

 Lynn Serafinn: In a nutshell, what I call the “3 Furies of Marketing” are fear, sex and humor. If you examine most modern marketing today, you will nearly always see at least one of these Furies at play.

Fear is rife in marketing: “Buy NOW before you lose out…before you get ill…before you die…” Watch for it and you’ll see it everywhere. Fear is a great short-term motivator, which is why marketers use it. It makes quick sales. But the long-term effects of chronic fear are stress and trauma, which are also running rampant in society today.

Sex in marketing is not only the use of “sexy” models in adverts (although that’s a big part of it, of course), but rather the manipulation of our feelings of sexual adequacy or attractiveness. In my book, one of the key examples I give is how the tobacco industry has marketed cigarettes to women at key times in the 20th Century, preying upon the many shifting gender roles. Some of the examples are nothing short of shocking, especially in light of the statistics I have found that show how specific marketing campaigns actually changed our social behavior.

Humor is marketing is very often a subtle “thief,” because we welcome it into our lives so willingly. But if you examine humor in marketing, you realize it is generally used either to grab our attention in the first place, or to distract us from the product it is promoting (one of the “7 Deadly Sins” in my book is “Distraction”). Why is this harmful? Because you create a culture wherein the public purchase products on the strength of the entertainment value of the marketing, and not necessarily on the integrity or value of the product itself. It is dis-empowering to consumers; and when consumers are dis-empowered, they can overspend and dig an inescapable ditch of debt not just for themselves, but for the whole of society.

Andrea Conway: Fascinating. Thank you. Now, Lynn, please tell us your vision for the marketing of the future.

 Lynn Serafinn: Well, Andrea, as the book is over 400 pages long, I could be really cheeky and just say, “It’s all in my book. Read it and find out.” But let me try to put it into a sentence or two.

My vision for marketing in the future is that all business owners ask themselves first and foremost how their business is serving the greater needs of humanity and the planet, before they even begin to dream up a new product or service. My vision is that all business owners make decisions based upon deep feelings of Connection to Self, Source and other human beings, and that they express these values through simple, transparent, businesses. I also see a shift to more local enterprise, and away from dependency upon multinational mega-businesses. This shift toward local enterprise creates stronger communities and support systems, and provides communities with greater resilience. It also fosters greater balance between humanity and the environment.

Then, when we are operating from this place of Connection, marketers can then ask themselves, “How can my marketing breathe life into my fellow man? How can my marketing authentically and transparently communicate that I have something of value to share? How can I ensure my message is free from anything that will do harm to humanity or the planet?” When we begin to ask ourselves THESE kinds of questions, rather than asking, “How can I get people to buy my product?” the face of all marketing will change. When it changes in this direction, trust can be restored between consumer and the world of commerce, and commerce can again take its rightful place as one of the sacred institutions of human society.

Andrea Conway: Wow and three cheers. That is a truly inspiring vision. Thank you and I look forward to reading your book!

- end of interview -

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Lynn Serafinn and that you’ll check out her book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell here.

ABOUT LYNN SERAFINN

Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC is a certified, award-winning coach and teacher, marketer, social media expert, radio host, speaker and bestselling author. Her eclectic approach to marketing incorporates her vast professional experience in the music industry and the educational sector along with more than two decades of study and practice of the spirituality of India. In her work as a promotional manager she has produced a long list of bestselling mind-body-spirit authors. Passionate about re-establishing our connection with the Earth, she supports the work of the Transition Town network in her hometown of Bedford, England.

ABOUT THE 7 GRACES OF MARKETING BOOK LAUNCH VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR

Yesterday, Lynn visited E.Dee Conrad   and spoke about about how society can benefit from the wisdom of 7 Graces of Marketing.

Tomorrow Lynn visits Suzie Cheel who will be sharing her recent video interview with Lynn about The 7 Graces of Marketing.

FREE GIFTS WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE 7 GRACES OF MARKETING ON DECEMBER 13

When you buy Lynn’s book on Tuesday December 13, 2011, you ALSO receive the MP3 download of all 10 hours of her historic telesummit, plus a complete library of beautiful personal development gifts from authors, speakers, coaches and other enlightened professionals from around the globe including one from me:

 Audio Program: Two Soul Power Marketing Guided Meditations to Attract Customers

Find more information about the 7 Graces of Marketing and free gifts! 

 Thanks for reading! I welcome your comments and thoughts below. Do you think we spiritual marketers can heal the planet by changing the way we sell?

Happiness and success,

Andrea