This morning I listened in on a free teleconference hosted by Jen Blackert (thank you Jen). The speaker was a woman named Talane Miedaner whom I had not heard of prior to this event. I did a google search on Ms. Miedaner and it turns out she has an English degree from Georgetown, runs a life coaching business including a website, and has written several books on a variety of self help topics including a concept called "attraction marketing". The idea behind attraction marketing is that whatever "energy" or "vibe" you send out to others determines the type of response you get back from them. Ms. Miedaner used a lot of new-agey terms to make this point but it seemed to me that the idea is just common sense.

At one point Ms. Miedaner said that if we have unrealized personal needs or desires those desires can impede our personal or professional growth. As an example she mentioned one client who was in need of appreciation so she suggested that he mail a stack of postcards to family members and have them write affirming statements on them and mail him one per day over a 2 or 3 week period of time. I guess that's a good idea if it works for you. I am not sure I would feel that the affirmations were sincere since I asked for them and expected them in the mail each day. But that is just me.

Before today's teleconference I had heard the term "attraction marketing" but didn't really know what it meant. Now I know. I think a lot of the concepts made sense but, really, they are the same things your grandmother probably told you but in more practical terms. Here are a sampling from my grandmother:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Hold your head high because no one else is going to do it for you.
You can only love others if you love yourself first.
Get your education because its the one thing that no one can take away from you.
Men don't like needy/clingy women. (no one likes clingy needy people)
No one likes a tattletale.
The value of your friendships is in direct proportion to the kind of friend you are to others.

OK so not all of my grandmother's sayings are necessarily relevant to the world of business but several of them fit right into the attraction marketing concept. You get back what you give out in this world. If you are mean to other people there is a good chance that people will not like you. If you are kind to others they will likely be kind to you and that kindness can encompass all areas of your life including your professional life. If you are needy and clingy you will turn other people off. If you don't respect yourself others won't respect you.

To me this is all common sense. It seemed to me, based on what I heard this morning that attraction marketing is a fancy packaged version of some basic common sense we have probably all heard from time to time. I just wish I had been the one to think of repackaging these words of wisdom in new age language and making a fortune off it.

Article by Liz Handlin and courtesy of Ultimate Resumes