If you’re new to the series, make sure to go back and read the introductory post from yesterday!

The first basic plot is probably the most famous: the quest. The quest plot focuses on human hardship. In it, some poor and generally disenfranchised person goes on a long journey to try and find something better. The quest plot focuses on some very basic human needs: happiness, satisfaction, self-improvement, and most of all companionship. You can find this plot everywhere from the bible to the Arthurian legends to Burn Notice: it’s basic.

So when you are designing your marketing, how does this help you? Well, if you’re a consultant or a coach, there are some pretty cool ways to use this to your advantage. Even if you’re not, you can take the psychological elements of the quest and use them to strengthen your marketing. The most important aspect of this myth is also in my opinion the most overlooked. No one can finish a quest by themselves. Every great hero has a helper, a guide, or an object that helps them complete their journey. By positioning yourself as that person or item, you’re giving yourself a leg up in the marketing world.

Everyone Wants To Be Happy.

Hell, the credit card industry is based on this principle. Like the person on the quest, we all want to ease our hardship, improve our position in life, and attain great rewards. The good news is that your customers are the exact same way. I spend a ton of time in my teleclass talking about emotional marketing: the idea that basic emotions sell big. This is that same principle at work. If your product can make someone happier, you need to say that. Emphasize it in your marketing writing, and explain why. Also, remember that this isn’t limited to pure happiness. Can your product or service reduce stress, or just give someone a break? Find out what quest your client is on and be the chance meeting that gets them to the end.

Everyone Wants To Be Satisfied With Their Life.

There are many different reasons to start a quest. In fairy tales, it’s because you’re the youngest and don’t get much attention, or that you’re poor and have no other options besides starvation. In legends and epics, people go on quests to prove themselves to a community, or to redeem themselves for past transgressions. In novels, it can be as simple as a general feeling that your life isn’t what it could be. This probably isn’t news to anyone, but I think most of us feel like this. Coaches and consultants specialize in this: it’s peace of mind marketing. This psychological principle spawned the entire self help genre! In general, proving that you can help someone become a more fulfilled and satisfied person is an easy way to successfully market your services.

You Can’t Finish A Quest By Yourself.

Everyone needs a guide, a helper, or simply a friend. Quests are difficult by nature, and people set out on them knowing that. The urge to quest is what causes people to do crazy things like start businesses and move to new places and change jobs. We all want something better than what we have: the fact that we’ve literally been telling this same story around the world for thousands of years proves that. When you’re selling things, especially in a service based business, you really want to be the companion that assures the quest will be completed.

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