We are still living with the vestiges of an old brand paradigm. It’s the old tell and sell way of thinking. I'm most often (painfully) reminded of it as I’m watching the same inane truck commercial throughout my favorite NFL game of the week. The old approach believed you should pack 30 seconds full of features and then launch a media buy that pummels viewers.

Even when I have been looking for a vehicle, I find myself wishing that the onslaught of the same commercial at what seems to be at every commercial break would just stop.

It just feels so interruptive (and that’s coming from someone who is a prospective buyer.)

It’s not just the old media. Digital ads, email, texts, and more can be equally as irritating. It doesn’t mean that these channels aren’t valuable. It comes down to how we choose to use them.

We are intruders in their space

For our brands to become exceptional, we need to accept that we are often (if not always) uninvited guests in our prospects’ world. This applies to even the most loved brands. If our prospects had their druthers, they would rather there be no commercials. That’s why you’ll find them increasingly camped over on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the such.

We need to accept this reality. It’s the first step. Once we make this shift, we then need to change our behavior.

From harping to helping

If the default perception is that we are interrupters, then the last thing we want to do is reinforce that perception. This do-no-harm posture is non-negotiable. If we don’t start with this acknowledgment, then we will be muted, scrolled past, and deleted without hesitation.

But this is just the beginning. In order to be allowed to stay in their worlds, we must prove value. This requires that we prioritize their needs over our needs. I know your brand has goals and objectives. I know you would like to press those needs. But, again, this is their world. You can’t coerce them into helping you reach those goals. We have to help them help us.

Help is the operative word here. What help can you offer them (beyond what you believe your brand offers)? Can you offer them some of your knowledge? Can you teach them something valuable? Can you help them solve a problem they have? Or help them take advantage of an opportunity?

This is how you earn the right to be in their thoughts. To be in their world. Do it authentically and consistently, and something magical can happen. You could move from being in their thoughts to being in their hearts.

When you reach that point, you are no longer considered an intruder. An interrupter. You are a friend. A recognized bringer of help. A valuable guest in their worlds.

This is how we create better brands. We go from harping to helping. From interrupting prospects to finding a way to serve them.