Believe and Doubt

People need to believe they’ll eventually eliminate or solve a conflict otherwise they would not be present there in a particular market.

Dilemma of Possibility to Probability: In the world of marketing, there’s a distinction between what’s achievable (possible) and what an individual believes they can achieve (probable). Even if a solution is possible, if someone has faced repeated setbacks, they might doubt its probability for them.

Example: Are six pack abs possible? Definitely yes! I have seen models and actors flaunting them. But would I be able to have them? Probably not seeing my current lifestyle and diet! Hence I’m no more a prospect in the fitness market at present. Why do I believe it’s not probable for me? Simple, my past tries have fallen flat resulting a future of not even trying.

Overcoming the dilemma from doubt to believe: To make people believe when they are in doubt due to their past failures, you must be able to explain to them and show the actual causes of those failures. Think about it: when we explain our past failures, we either conclude that there is something wrong with ourselves or we attribute them to missing knowledge or information that could have reversed the results if we had possessed it. Most of us choose the latter path and blame external factors.

As a marketer, your job should be to understand why they have failed previously and demonstrate that the causes are not related to their ability to achieve their desired outcome. This process eliminates the element of self-doubt and reinstates belief in their ability to attain their desired outcome.