I’ve always been insatiably curious, and while I am an avid reader, I often learn best by doing. So, when I was nearly a decade into my marketing career and decided to dive head first into a hypnotherapy certification, it wasn’t all that surprising (to me, anyway).
As an Account Manager for Brilliant Marketing as well as a certified clinical hypnotherapist (CHt), I love creating positive change in whatever sphere of work I’m engaged in at any point in time.
So what could hypnotherapy possibly have to do with marketing? Quite a bit, actually—let’s dive deep.
Reading the room
I was fortunate enough to do my immersive hypnotherapy training in-person before the COVID-19 pandemic, traveling twice to Florida for a beginner and advanced “hands-on” training alongside my online coursework. My teacher stressed in-person was important to begin because of the subtle bodily cues your client gives.
Are their shoulders bunching up towards their ears? Are they breathing at a relaxed, natural pace? Are their eyelids gently fluttering or squeezed tight? All of these things indicate what general state of mind or presence your client is experiencing. These are super important to pick up on to better help your client relax and ultimately work through whatever they’re searching to accomplish.
Now I do all of my sessions online via Zoom, but I appreciate those in-person immersions because I can read the room, even virtually, really quickly and often without consciously thinking about it. I’ve always been able to pick up on others’ emotions, but honing that skill to another level ensures I’m going to bring that level of consciousness in everything I do—whether it’s hosting a hypnotherapy session or a client discovery call.
So much of marketing is about reading the room. How do your clients feel about this logo design? What can you tell they’re not saying about their business goals? Even the target audience has wants and needs that a good deal of social listening and customer research can tell you so much about.
Subconscious cues are everywhere
Subconscious cues are everywhere. Those subtle, unconscious cues provide information to me (as a hypnotherapist), but also to anyone living in the world interacting with marketing. Because I am so attuned to what I’m interacting with as a consumer—and what impact that has on me, subconsciously—I am additionally aware of those things as a marketer.
For example, nothing gets unsubscribed from an email list from me like subject lines including all-caps, high-stress emojis (who decided the siren emoji was a good idea?), or scarcity messaging like, “LAST CHANCE!!!” Of course these tactics are used to play upon people’s fear; of missing out, not having the thing, etc. But do we really need more fear responses in our lives?
This is why Brilliant Marketing is such a breath of fresh air and a company I’m incredibly proud to be a part of. Through our Conscious Marketing approach, we don’t engage in clickbait, but rather provide thoughtful, strategic marketing activities that get brands seen, understood, and engaged with.
Brainwave states for goals
In every hypnotherapy session, the goal is for the client to relax their body and mind deeply so that their conscious mind can let go of its (often stressed) alert state so our subconscious—where all of our habits, beliefs, and emotions live—can be accessed.
When we’re at work, we’re most commonly in a Beta brainwave state—problem-solving, concentrating, and tackling tasks.
When we engage in a Mindful Minute, we let ourselves go to an Alpha brainwave state where we’re resting comfortably and able to pause, sparking creativity.
When we’re in a deeply relaxed, meditative state through hypnosis, we’re able to access the Theta brainwave state. You don’t have to have a hypnotherapy session to access this brainwave state—walking in nature, being deeply engaged in music, or allowing yourself to deeply daydream can get you to the same place.
A hypnotherapist will guide their client through relaxation techniques to get to that Theta brainwave state so whatever they’re seeking to change can be accomplished on a deep level. For example, my clients come to me for a variety of reasons, like combatting overwhelm, building self-trust, and even things like quitting smoking. I help guide clients to the things that will create the change they’re looking for, because all of the answers are within themselves.
Creating new pathways to change
Neuroplasticity tells us our brain continues to adapt and change. Our brains continually create new neural pathways and alter existing ones in order to adapt to new experiences, learn new information, and create new memories. Hypnotherapy just allows us to do it on purpose. New neural pathways are created to get information where it needs to go for our best outcome.
Marketing is much the same—the goal of any marketing activity is to provide awareness of a brand, product, or service, so that the right people find them. Creating a new pathway from the target audience to the brand is what we do every day. This is why creating authentic and emotional brands that inspire is so important. I personally believe we’re all here at the right time to share our gifts with the others here at this time in human history. Marketing creates a new pathway for purposeful change.
Looking for insights and inspiration? Find Caitlin on LinkedIn.