Bro Psychology: Are You Winning?

Are you winning? Have you killed it today? Did you slay the dragon?

Snapped a neck and cashed a check? Put those bitches in their place? I read or hear these terms in various places all the time online, usually as part of some motivational coaching rant. Okay, so one is actually from the movie Stepbrothers but it perfectly encapsulate my thoughts in regards to this post. Bro psychology is toxic.

Recently, I began offering online coaching services. In order to do this, I realized I needed to learn more about life coach marketing. I've never been very good at sales, it has always made me feel dirty and cheap, like a used car salesman with a bad comb-over and a loud, polyester suit.

As I did my due diligence and researched marketing in this area, what I found, for the most part, was not very inspiring. I found a lot of "professionals" peddling cliches and preying upon peoples' fear. Some of these cliches were of the motivational poster variety and pretty harmless, others were not.

Some of these coaches used marketing tactics I like to call "Bro Psychology," what is "Bro Psychology"? This is the type of motivation gimmick which targets (mainly men) the customers most base desires or challenges them to become the "alpha male" (assuming the customer is already a "beta male").

In other words..." you are a loser and I can make you a winner!" Many times this type of marketing goes along the lines of following my ten step plan and you too can be an awesome, just like me.

I remember as a kid, when we first got cable t.v., I would watch various infomercials late at night. I distinctly remember one (seemed like it was on every night) with an Asian dude with a heavy accent who promoted the ultimate bro lifestyle: mansions, yachts, beautiful models, oh my!

I don't even remember what he was marketing, all I remembered was the lifestyle he promised if you bought his program (looked pretty good to an adolescent boy). It wasn't until years later that I understood marketing demographics and the type of customers these late night infomercials were actually targeting.

Maybe it's me getting older, or my lack of interest in gaining expensive toys, or my new found interest in Stoicism but I have little patience for "Bro Psychology." Granted we all are motivated by a certain amount of material gain (I have no interest in living in a van down by the river) but look at all the studies which show how material gain will only provide you a certain amount of happiness and is capped beyond a certain point, depending upon where you live in the U.S.

I know this is a stretch but will there ever be a day when authenticity sells just as well as this type of marketing? Probably not. I don't sell anything that will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams or super sexy.