You’ve seen the marketing hype and heard all the promises:
Build a Six-Figure Business in just 60 Days!
Or, Fail Fast, Succeed Faster.
There’s even a magazine called Fast Company.
And it’s true: most of us want that income NOW.
We’ve got bills to pay. Kids to send to college. Vacations to take.
And we’re constantly looking for ways to be more productive. To cram more things into our measly 24 hours.
Need to make everything happen yesterday? There’s an app for that.
But the speed of our lives isn’t news.
We’ve been fighting the Cult of Instant Gratification and the Glorification of More for decades.
Did you know the Slow Food movement originated in 1986?
That was nearly THIRTY years ago.
But over that time, the Slow Food movement ushered in all sorts of ancillary types of slow: Slow Cities, Slow Travel, Slow Money, Slow Design. Slow Sex, Even Slow TV.
So why not Slow Marketing?
I asked several folks on Facebook recently how they responded to the term.
Most said they dug the idea of it — but they couldn’t wrap their heads around the name.
“Slow means lazy.” Or, “Slow means I’m spinning my wheels.”
“I don’t want to take a slow boat to China.”
Yep, Slow Marketing has a branding problem.
In business, we already know that success usually takes longer than we’d like.
We pay people (sometimes BIG money) to help us succeed faster.
To avoid the long way around.
To shorten our learning curve.
To get us to our destination before our competitors.
So going slow — even when we know logically that it’s better to be mindful, intentional, and relational — may not feel so attractive.
Folks have suggested we use other terms like “Conscious” or “Mindful” marketing.
Personally, I like the word, “Presence.”
But “Slow” has a decades-long international movement behind it. And that means quite a lot when you’re looking to create (or build on) momentum for changing the way people think about an industry.
Slow Emphasizes Process and Choice.
It’s not about being lazy, stupid, or indecisive. It’s about knowing that the ends don’t justify the means.
So much of our commerce today — especially with publicly traded companies — is about boosting profits at all costs.
Outsourcing talent to the lowest bidder.
But you and I aren’t publicly traded companies.
And we can be lean and agile in ways that they can’t.
One of my very smart colleagues shared that she struggled with the concept of process in terms of how she talked about her copy coaching services.
She’s someone who loves the journey just as much as the destination. But she said, “I know people aren’t buying plane tickets. They’re buying the destination.”
I had to challenge her on that one.
There are lots of different ways to get somewhere.
It’s why we have airline and seating options: you can fly coach, or you can fly first class.
Or, you can skip the planes and drive. Or even take a train.
HOW you get where you’re going is a choice. And it’s a choice you get to make. Only you can decide what kind of journey you’d like to take.
I love the definition of ‘slow’ that comes from Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food movement:
“Being Slow means that you control the rhythms of your own life. You decide how fast you have to go in any context. If today I want to go fast, I go fast. If tomorrow I want to go slow, I go slow. What we are fighting for is the right to determine our own tempos.”
Slow Facilitates Deeper Relationships.
All over the world, people are slowing down to the speed of human. And that’s part of the Slow Movement ideal: connection to people, place, and purpose.
It’s about quality over quantity. Right speed and right timing. (Which, ironically, isn’t always slow.)
And it’s perfect for what we do here at Story Bistro: listen deeply. Bloom the connections we’ve already got (rather than seek only to add to their number). And take the time to share our best stories with those who need and want to hear them.
Our unofficial motto is Ubuntu: I am who I am because of who we all are.
Slow is Smartly Balanced. (And in the End, More Profitable).
In Australia, Carolyn Tate’s Slow School of Business is creating waves of positive change.
She says, “Fast-profit and short-term thinking is why business and capitalism has failed humanity and the planet. I started Slow School to help people make mindful, sustainable choices that would benefit everybody. I also believe that prosperity is a far more meaningful measure of success than profit. When we all slow down, we connect more deeply with ourselves, each other and with our communities. That’s where real change happens.”
There’s also the World Institute of Slowness headed up by Geir Berthelsen. (See his video below.)
Both of these organizations work to change the world of business by focusing on a balance of process and profit.
Many of my colleagues here in North America are staunch advocates of this movement, too: Tad Hargrave, Mark Silver, Andrea J. Lee and Racheal Cook, to name just a few.
Racheal says, “I’ve totally found that slow = profits! Especially because instead of chasing a million shiny objects, you get to really go deep into your work. Which leads to better results for you and your clients.”
Here’s what’s interesting: In a Harvard Business Review study, “the companies that embraced initiatives and chose to go, go, go to try to gain an edge ended up with lower sales and operating profits than those that paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track. What’s more, the firms that ‘slowed down to speed up’ improved their top and bottom lines, averaging 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating profits over a three-year period.”
It’s about taking the long view. Thinking about more than profits for this quarter, but long-term impact AND profits…and how those affect people and place.
In short, it’s building something sustainable. That won’t burn you out (or damage your most precious relationships).
Would you like to build a business that serves you, your life, and your relationships?
First, reframe the idea of Slow for yourself.
Start with this book: “In Praise of Slow,” by Carl Honore.
Watch these two videos:
(If you’re reading this via email, the links you need are here and here.)
And then start a conversation with your peers and colleagues.
Ask them if they’ve heard of the Slow movement. Find out if they’re looking for a way to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with their right people.
You can begin by sharing your thoughts in a comment below. Are there other resources not mentioned here? Do you have ideas or questions? Are you willing to publicly declare yourself a Slow Marketing advocate? Let’s see where our conversation takes us…
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This post is part of a group writing project we lovingly call Word Carnivals. This month, we’re tackling the myths and misunderstandings of our particular fields. Read more and get smarter here.
Totally in favor of Slow Marketing, Tea. Thanks for expanding the concept and framing it in this way. More mindfulness is a GOOD thing, both in life and in business.
LOVE this from the first video (A Slow Movie):
“Slowness is a thought … but a very powerful thought: It’s an appreciation; a sensorial experience; timeless; classic.” Ahh … music to my soul.
And from the TED Talk:
“A world stuck in fast forward.” (“Even instantaneous gratification takes too long”) That and a reference to “speed yoga” made me laugh out loud. However, there’s really nothing funny about it at all.
I hope we can all get back to the lost art of shifting gears. I definitely want to get back in touch with my “inner tortoise”. 🙂
Just for the record:
Publicly declaring myself a Slow Marketing advocate. Did you hear that, people?!
So glad to have you officially on this band wagon, Melanie. We need all the positive energy we can get.
I really leaned in when you asked the question on Facebook! Surprising the number of different “takes” on “Slow”. Maybe it’s my age or the farm country I grew up in or just my general nature, but I’ve never been one to embrace speed. What I mean by that is “speeding through life”. I’m far more comfortable with a slow pace that affords me the chance to experience/note/soak in/enjoy/remember/taste/feel whatever it is I’m doing. Know what I mean? When I rush through something, I’m certain I’m missing out on something wonderful. Might sound abstract but I hope you get what I’m getting at. 🙂
I stand behind ya, Tea, and declare myself a Slow Marketing advocate, practitioner and maybe even an evangelist!
I do think it has a branding problem, but that same branding problem is what makes it meaningful — it requires a significant shift in perspective. The suggested alternatives of Presence, Mindful, and Conscious don’t really cover all of the territory that Slow does, they’re just elements of it, and they add additional baggage. If an alternative is used, I think it needs to mean slow.
Left to my own devices, I’d probably build Tortoise Marketing, just because I totally want to draw the tortoise and the hair, today.
You know I would totally love to see anything you draw, Tori. Especially a tortoise. And I totally agree — the other terms just don’t cover all the bases.
Because my brand revolves around food and cooking, Slow has felt like the most-right term for me. The tortoise tho, is definitely the avatar we use over SlowMarketing.org. Fun fact: a tortoise can be pretty darn fast when they want to be. According to Google, “The fastest recorded tortoise speed is 5 mph.” Which is WAY faster than I normally move.
It’s a mantra I preach constantly. No, I can’t get you results now. Or like, in a month. Or maybe even three or six. Marketing and growing a business takes time. Can you get a quick hit? Add a ton of followers or subscribers fast? Sure, five bucks and some spit will get you that. But to what end? Numbers aren’t the end result. Sustainable, long term – preferably meaningful! Quick fixes never last. They may not even work. What’s the point of adding a thousand email subscribers if they don’t buy form you or even talk to you? Anyway, I’m a believer 🙂 Slow and mindful wins the race!
Here’s to our Inner Tortoises.
Slow is relief – to do things at a pace that make sense to what you can manage and walk away from the mania of imposed deadlines by yourself or others.
Part of slow is self permission. That’s hard. We’ve been trained for decades to be busy, work long, say yes, listen to the siren call of more, (money, likes, links, followers). Most of which is nonsense.
It’s exciting Tea, that you are putting forward a clarion call to change our tempo and refocus on what balances us. I don’t want my girls buying in to the madness of the last few decades. It’s lapped at their edges of their experience, but maybe slow will change things in time for them to lead a more considered life. I hope so.
Me, too, Sandy! Glad this one landed for you.
Marketing + the need for instant results = inevitable disappointment.
Absolutely spot-on advice, Tea. Marketing takes time, and nurturing your contacts and network is worth it if it fits into your long-term plan. Now I just need to start thinking long-term and stop getting hung up on managing the day-to-day. It’s a constant struggle; I think baby steps are in order. 🙂
First of all THANKS for a great post 🙂
At Philosophies.dk we are all in with Slow as well – also the marketing. It’s like our Slow Inspirator Carl Honoré says – “When businesses strike the right balance between fast and slow, staff are happier, healthier and more productive. They also build better relationships with customers and clients”
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Slow Quote – “If you kill the roots you kill the tree – It’s like in the systems of the governments – if they don’t care for the roots, the systems are eventually sentenced to fail” – Tanja Schjellerup
Thanks for a great article and reminder for everyone… I am proud that Carolyn Tate of Slow School is a dear friend of mine, it was wonderful to see her excellent work being profiled here. As a long time marketer/entrepreneur, I too am getting sick and tired of all the claims to fast success and making millions. It simply doesn’t happen that way, or if it does, it’s rarely sustainable and the person who made a fast million promptly ‘loses’ it again. Slow School and the Slow Movement are making slow, conscious, mindful, considered and positive change in the world… and it’s up to us as individuals to apply those changes in our own lives… and be the pebbles in the pond. The butterfly effect. My husband and I hit the road in a motorhome 9 months ago to live, work and travel full-time as we explored North America – we have the ability to work remotely, as long as we have internet. Some people think we’re crazy, others think we’re ‘living the dream’ but we made it happen by deciding to live our life in alignment with our values, not by following what society thinks we should do to be ‘normal’ or ‘successful’. We ARE successful, by our own terms – we live where we want, when we want for as long as we want, we choose the weather we want to be in, we choose our views, we have no commute, our life is simplified, we have fewer bills, our living expenses have become less fixed and more variable (and therefore more controllable as needed), we make real connections with others on the road who are truly enjoying life and have time to chat and get to know one another, we rarely, if ever, meet people who are busy or stressed. We have time, space, we eat well, we have some of the most amazing places in the country on our doorstep to explore every weekend or even on an afternoon after work. We have time to laugh and play, to rest and sleep, to bike and hike… in new places every other week or so. We stretch ourselves out of our comfort zones, expand our minds, our social circles, our environment, we have less debt, more photographs, incredible memories and so much more to look forward to. By living our lives as an example of what we believe in, by enjoying the journey (as well as the destinations), by living our lives now, by being in the present moment, by appreciating every little thing, watching hummingbirds fly by us, watching the sun set much more often, by being truly happy within ourselves, by slowing down our lives to the point where we already ARE where we once thought we wanted to be… we know we are making a difference to others without even trying… as it inspires them to think differently, witness our joy, happiness, laughter and fun, and create their own experiences… and remind them that if we can do it… they can too… and they are.
Thank you for this article and yes I agree and I lean to the Slow movement. I have found the Slow dimension in fact is “fast” as by also giving time for “waiting for your Soul” – following my intuition – the outcome is always fulfilling, sustainable empowering.
Twitter: LindaUrsin
on March 29, 2015 at 6:24 am
I’m doing my marketing the slow way. I’m not the patient kind, but pushing stuff on people doesn’t resonate with me. Plus I’m disabled from chronic pain, so I can’t go 150% anymore.
Twitter: trudyvanbuskirk
on March 29, 2015 at 7:34 am
I have the book by Carl Honore and have been an advocate of slow marketing for years. Here is another resource about this – Do you know Tad Hargrave, Tea? http://marketingforhippies.com/slow-marketing/ written in Feb 2012.
I like the quote in the link attributed to Martin Luther, indicating that it’s even more important to take the time to meditate when things are busy.
Great blog post Tea! I have been an active member of the Slow Food movement for a long while – it’s delicious! It’s a big part of the work I do in my private practice with women. So glad to see that marketing is adopting its brilliance and that you’re on board. I feel like I’ve just been given permission to market at the same pace that I do almost everything else these days, which is tortoise-like for sure – thank you for that! As a grateful to be recovering fast food life-liver, I know the pitfalls and land mines of the instant gratification, more more more, and need it yesterday mindset – it about killed me. So now I will add slow marketing to my list of things that I do at an enjoyable and relaxed pace.
Twitter: grovecanada
on March 29, 2015 at 5:02 pm
Small is beautiful, Economics as if People mattered, by E. F. Schumacher, is a book I read for our high school geography class…Back then it was called “small”, but easily the word “slow” was part of this philosophy…I remember being at Vinitaly in Verona in 1990-ish, & asking what that snail pin meant…It was the slow food movement…Small, slow, patience, taking your time, grass roots, baby steps-these have all been part of my vocabulary for decades…It’s nice to see that the rest of the world is starting to slow down a bit too…
A close teenage friend of mine once wrote me a letter telling me that I was a “slow horse”…She was warning me about the speed of everyone else around me, & for me, that it was better not to join in or try that…I kep that close to my heart as people got married & had babies & mortgages & careers while I was still figuring out which flavour of ice cream was my favorite at Baskin N Robbins…Was it slim chocolate mint maybe?
I still am amazed by the day to day “normal” people carry on…How do they work 8 hours & feed themselves & groom & socialize & drive their children to swim classes & earn money all at the same time?
It could be that where I live it is cold for 6 months of the year & just getting to work, the commute part, is only for the Hercules types…
Yay for slow marketing! Finally the world is catching up to my slowness!!! Yay!
Thanks Tea! You are great!
I’ve always felt that I grew up in the wrong era, or maybe the wrong country. For two years I lived and studied at a United Word College in Italy. Meals were taken slowly, with much conversation. Questions about life for students from other countries were encouraged and not considered rude. Although distance has rendered us Facebook friends, the friendships began many years ago, and the trust we built up during those two years remains. Prior to creating a webpage with WordPress, I hated email, let alone texting, Tweeting, being on Google+, etc. I still hate it for the most part, but sometimes it is the only way I can interact with someone. I am taking my time with this, getting to know people with similar values in my field.
Tea I love that you are able to bring numbers in to play, and how they demonstrate you really should bet on the tortoise! Fav is “40% higher sales and 52% higher operating profits over a three-year period”. I’ll be bookmarking this to share with my clients.