Have you ever experienced the blinding flash of a major insight? If you have, the experience is profound and highly personal — and it changes your life permanently. Although I’m not an expert on psychotherapy, the idea of some non-medicinal treatments is to help patients catch the truths which the therapist (and perhaps society as a whole) clearly recognize but the patient cannot seem to visualize. Of course, drugs may also help out in the insight-discovering process — at some risk to the user. Certainly, I discovered my major insight (at 26 years old) in a night of drinking that probably set a personal binge record.
I’ve also noticed that, in my case, the major insight is something like an earthquake. Significant hidden precursors occur that might become more obvious (in hindsight) as the actual insight approaches, and several aftershocks take place, most prominent right at the time of the major insight, but sometimes following years later (these might be seen as minor insights.)
I also sense that many insights correlate with religious awakenings, often the discovery or reconnection with your faith. (I appreciated my faith in G-d that evening.) There is a fine line of course between religious faith, and (more dangerously) cult-like behaviour.
Great motivational speakers (and perhaps religious/cult leaders) have the ability to break through at least to some of their followers to encourage/induce insights. Undoubtedly, if you can capture/bottle/communicate your insights effectively, you’ll be truly effective at marketing.
But how do you do this when you are out there marketing drywall, or LEED-based engineering consulting? I doubt few people you wish to do business want you to force your insights down their throats, especially if they are religious-based (though of course you can certainly market within your own relgiiou or community group).
The answer, I think, is to return to the source of your insight, which most likely correlates with your core life purpose, passion, and values. When you are fortunate enough to be working so deeply and so well at the activity you love doing — to the point that time and money don’t really matter– your current and potential clients will discover you and you will most likely use the most effective marketing methods to reach them.
You will find many marketing options available to you. I advocate that your best options are the ones that bring you closer to your inner values and strengths — and you’ll know when and how to use the more difficult marketing methods (for business survival or initial growth) when your underlying purpose in business and life is strong enough.
