What outcome will result from this story?
by Pace on February 24th, 2010 @ 9:30 am in
Usual Error Project
Tags: honest hal, marketing, storytelling
Whenever I wrote an online profile, I used to introduce myself with:
Hi! I’m Pace. I’m a bi poly kinky pagan gamer geek.
Now I say:
Hi! I’m Pace. I’m a spiritual idealist entrepreneur.
I’m still bi, I’m still poly, I’m still kinky, I’m still pagan(ish), I’m still a gamer, and I’m a geek. I still identify with each and every one of those labels.
So why the change?
It’s because of marketing. And since marketing is communication, it’s about communication.
The point of communication is to successfully convey what you want to convey. What you intend to convey doesn’t matter as much as the actual result of your communication — what the other person ends up understanding.
What does this have to do with your online profile, Pace?
How you identify doesn’t matter as much as the actual result of what you write about yourself. What kind of people will it resonate with? What will the outcome be?
In my case, I already have oodles of cool friends who are bi poly kinky pagan gamer geeks. When you co-lead the Freak Revolution, you can expect that. (: But I don’t have many friends who are spiritual idealist entrepreneurs, especially not in Austin. So that’s what I want to focus on.
Of course, honesty is paramount. If people feel baited and switched (regardless of whether you intended to bait and switch them), no one wins. But even among the true stories, there are millions of different true stories you can tell about yourself. Each of them will resonate differently with different people.
What story do you want to tell?
Wait, this isn’t just about online profiles?
Can you see how this applies to everything?
- Your website
- Your blog
- Your business
- How you dress
- What you talk about on a first date
- How and where you spend your money
- How and where you spend your time
- How you live your life
In everything you do, you tell a story. Sometimes with words, sometimes with actions. Usually, we think self-consciously, “What does this story say about me?”
Today, I want you to think about this question instead:
What outcome will result from this story?
No related posts.
 Have you read our book, The Usual Error? It teaches you how to solve communication issues with compassion and understanding, how to get rid of needless conflict from your life, how to make your relationships smoother, and how to generally be happier. Also, the illustrations are super cool. (:You can buy it on Amazon or read it for free online. |
7 Comments!
#2 Posted by 
Ellie Di on February 24th, 2010 5:33 pm | link
I’m still resisting and rebelling against the idea of marketing myself to other people. I hate the idea that I have to carefully package myself to make someone else like me. I understand that we do this subconsciously all the time, but the overt act of manipulation to that end makes me upset. That’s not to say that I begrudge you (or anyone else) for doing it. Just that I’ve not come to terms with the idea as anything that “must” be a reality for me yet.
Ellie Di´s last blog ..National Eating Disorder Awareness Week 
#3 Posted by 
Wulfie on February 24th, 2010 5:41 pm | link
oooooo thanks for the pdf. I can’t wait to read this! I’d buy it if I could, really. I love books. :D And I think 99.00% of all problems are related to communication. So yay you, for writing about it. Thanks again!
#4 Posted by Wulfie on February 24th, 2010 5:47 pm | link
oops I think I just did a total geek thing and responded to an ad. roflmgao.
For a few months now I’ve been into openly expressing who I am and letting more and more of myself out. I redecorated my office gothic style. (You wouldn’t believe the reactions a 50 year old gets for being open about being goth…like what, I was supposed to outgrow it?!) In doing little things like changing my office, or clothes, or whatever really, it’s just me learning how to openly and honestly express myself to others but even more importantly, it’s about me honoring and loving myself at the deeper levels and sharing that. Risky business!
I got that bad juju thing below…what the heck, I don’t need no bad juju rofl So I unclicked it.
#5 Posted by 
Pace on February 24th, 2010 6:24 pm | link
@Ellie: The thing I find interesting about it is that we do it accidentally even if we don’t mean to or don’t want to. So it becomes more of a choice between doing it on purpose versus doing it accidentally, rather than doing it versus not doing it.
@Wulfie: You’re welcome! And hooray for sharing who you are.
#6 Posted by 
Andy Dolph on February 24th, 2010 9:55 pm | link
Great post Pace – thanks!
This is something I talk about a lot – of course then again I describe myself as a technological storyteller. But I’ve found for many years, working with lots of different kinds of people, that almost invariably people come to me for technical help, but what they really need is help with the story they are telling (in their business, in the classroom, in their personal life, whatever…)
I think it comes down to the fact that we don’t have a way to communicate everything about who we are and what’s important to us instantly (or even quickly.)
So by what we do say we present ourselves (or our businesses or projects or whatever) in a way that tells a specific story – maybe an unusefull or disorganized one, but a story none the less – so why not make that story a choice, and tell the story that best represents who we are.
But of course, I suspect I’m preaching to the choir here (though that’s about as unpaganish a metaphor as I’m likely to come up with… ;))
Enjoy the journey!
Andy
http://binauraljourneys.com
Andy Dolph´s last blog ..Chicken Techno
#7 Posted by 
Julia on February 25th, 2010 5:05 pm | link
I hadn’t thought of it that way.
I need to mull on that some. (Along with various other interesting things people have thrown my way this week.)
Thank you!
#1 Posted by
Leah on February 24th, 2010 11:32 am | link
Good reminder Pace.
Leah´s last blog ..Making Your Own Rules (my first video blog!)