People tend to follow patterns in their daily lives. For example, it is common for many families to sit down and watch television after children have been put to bed. Needless to say, television companies are aware of prime viewing times and are likely to use this pattern to introduce new programming—all they are doing is adding something into a pattern that already exists.
People like routine
Breaking these patterns requires a jolt of some sort. Tension is created and energy is diverted to this new input. This raises the question of whether this new pattern is worth considering. In most cases, for those a company is trying to reach out to, the answer is no. Time is precious to them and a new pattern is a risk, which is something to be feared. For example, a person selling gardening services is asking a prospect to interrupt their existing pattern of doing their gardening themselves and will encounter significant resistance, as would attempting to sell a product to a purchasing manager in a large organisation because they probably will not want to change the status quo. Furthermore, it is likely that you have a favourite supermarket, but its rivals spend millions of pounds trying to convince you to break that pattern and visit them instead.
Sometimes, life events come to the rescue, such as the birth of a child, getting engaged or joining a gym, wherein a pattern is not always set up. Therefore, it is very profitable to market to these groups in an attempt to get such patterns established with a specific brand: yours.
Using tension to change patterns
Think of tension as being a rubber band: pull it at one end and it creates tension on the other. From a marketing perspective, it is a case of applying one force (such as social engagement) to overcome another force (such as the status quo). If a company attempts to market a product that needs to interrupt a pattern, it needs to create enough tension for its prospects to break customers’ existing patterns. However, what does that mean in practice?
» If all it took was the truth, a better idea or a simpler solution to change a person's ingrained patterns, everyone would have changed a long time ago. To drive change, just enough tension needs to be created to make a client want to break their existing pattern «
Building and relieving tension
If a company opens a new clinic in town, the other ones may no longer be the ‘one and only’ or ‘closest’ in town. When hosting an exclusive party, those who are not invited become outsiders. In classes, students are unlikely to ask questions or volunteer information—in this case, a teacher could apply social pressure by publicly calling on a student to answer a question. Technology companies can also be seen using similar techniques. They will focus their marketing efforts on early adopters, who will in turn tell co-workers that they are missing out, thereby potentially leading to viral growth.
It seems unlikely that customers would buy from a company going out of business. After all, if the products or services it was selling were any good, it would not be going out of business. It might be assumed that attempting to return something, get support or have a warranty is likely to be difficult. Yet, people cannot resist the chance of ‘getting a bargain’, so visiting the store is the only way to relieve the tension caused.
This is what tension correctly applied feels like—being left behind or missing out. It is something that can be legitimately applied because we care about those we seek to serve.
‘If you care enough about the change you seek to make, you will care enough to generously and respectfully create tension on behalf of that change.’ (Godin, 2018)
The line between tension and fear
Tension is not about causing clients to feel afraid and businesses should not be coercing or manipulating people. Fear is a dream-killer and invariably causes hesitation and paralysis, unless people have been taught that forward motion or a way out is possible. Where there is fear, tension should be used to promote the way out and the promise of a better result on the other side.
An agent of change
There are two ways a business can be run. One can be the equivalent of a taxi driver by simply showing up and asking clients where they want to go and charging standard rates. One might work hard, but it is unlikely the business will develop.
On the other hand, one could be an agent of change by creating tension and then relieving it by moving the client forward.
The reason market leaders exist is simple: they are good at resisting efforts by competitors such as you (Godin, 2018). If all it took was the truth, a better idea or a simpler solution to change a person's ingrained patterns, everyone would have changed a long time ago. To drive change, just enough tension needs to be created to make a client want to break their existing pattern.
Gaining trust and patterning change
Needless to say, trust and excellent customer service have to underpin and pattern the change a company is hoping to achieve. If clients do not trust a company's guidance, no amount of tension applied will cause them to change. Businesses have to earn and keep the attention and trust of those they serve. Customers need to know that they are moving from one trusted pattern to another. Companies should ensure they have good feedback visible to create trust, as well as prominently displaying any logos for professional organisations they belong to.
Conclusion
Tension is a useful marketing tool for any aesthetics brand. By spending time getting a few early adopters to use a new product and talk about it, they can create the tension in others that they are missing out. Sometimes, technique will work well on social media alone. However, another possible promotion method might be to set up a social gathering, such as an exclusive party, as previously mentioned.
Try to fit a product in with existing patterns and also watch out for new patterns being established. A product could be offered in combination with an existing pattern, such as a visit to a clinic, or perhaps a wedding package could be created for certain demographics that offers discounted follow-on treatments.
Simply being better is not enough—create enough tension to trigger that change with your audience.