The Disconnection Problem
The Disconnection Problem: When Your Marketing Feels Like Someone Else's Words
Why orgininality isn't just nice to have – it's your biggest competitive advantage
Thanks to everyone who engaged with yesterday's post about the "sameness epidemic."
Your responses confirmed what I suspected – this isn't just something I'm noticing. It's everywhere.
But several of you shared something that made my heart sink...
Comments like:
"I know my marketing sounds generic, but I'm afraid to be myself because what if it doesn't work?"
"I use AI to write my emails (and it's great) but it really doesn't sound like me."
"I hit publish as I know I should... but something feels off."
This hits on something deeper inside the sameness epidemic.
Something I call "The Disconnection Problem."
When Marketing No Longer Sounds Like You
The disconnection happens when our marketing message no longer sounds like us.
It can happen slowly over time. Or it can happen when we use AI or try to "follow a formula" without maintaining who we are and how we are different.
I completely get it. Because I've been there too.
In fact, I've nearly burned my business to the ground (quite literally) multiple times. At the time, I felt like a failure because I wasn't getting the results I wanted.
But what I realized was: the reason the strategy wasn't working is because it wasn't me.
The Wrong Size Marketing Suit
One time, I tried to follow a famous marketing guru's "proven system."
I spent months crafting emails that sounded nothing like me, creating content that felt forced, and speaking in a voice that belonged to someone who probably wore power suits (definitely not this homeschooling mom who prefers yoga pants and baseball caps).
It's kinda like when my youngest son tries to copy his older brother's batting stance. He thinks if he mimics exactly what works for his brother, he'll get the same results. But he ends up striking out because the stance doesn't fit his body, his natural swing, or his instincts.
Sarah's $12,000 Marketing Disaster
Let me tell you about Sarah (not her real name).
Sarah came to me after spending $12,000 with a high-profile marketing agency. They had created what looked like marketing gold:
✓ Professional lead magnet
✓ 7-email nurture sequence
✓ High-converting sales page template
✓ Optimized ad copy
The agency showed her all the data proving this approach worked. They had case studies. Testimonials. The whole nine yards.
But after 4 months of running this "proven system," Sarah had made exactly zero sales.
When I looked at her materials, everything was technically correct. The psychology was sound. The structure followed every best practice.
So what was wrong?
"None of it sounds like me," Sarah admitted during our first call. "When I read those emails, I feel like I'm pretending to be someone else."
It's like putting on clothes that are the wrong size – they might look good on the hanger, but they don't fit.
The Invisible Barrier
Her potential clients could sense the disconnection.
They could feel that the marketing "persona" didn't match the real Sarah, even if they couldn't articulate why. It created this invisible barrier between her and the people she was trying to help.
You know that feeling, don't you?
When you're about to hit "send" on an email or "publish" on a social post, and something in your gut says "This doesn't feel like me."
Maybe you've caught yourself thinking:
"I would never talk like this in real life"
"This sounds impressive, but it's not how I actually think"
"Will people think I'm being fake?"
The Truth Marketing Experts Won't Tell You
Here's what most marketing experts won't tell you:
When your marketing feels foreign to you, it feels foreign to your audience too.
They might not be able to put their finger on it, but something feels "off." Like they're being sold to by a persona instead of connecting with a real person.
This is why so many businesses are struggling right now. It's not that their tactics are wrong – it's that there's a fundamental disconnection between who they are and how they're showing up.
The conventional wisdom says you need to sound "professional" and follow proven formulas to succeed. (And AI makes it so simple to do!)
But here's what I've learned after helping hundreds of entrepreneurs (and going through my own disconnection era):
Your biggest marketing advantage isn't sounding like everyone else – it's sounding like YOU.
The Transformation
When Sarah and I rebuilt her entire approach around her actual voice, her genuine beliefs, and her unique way of seeing problems... everything changed.
Her email open rates jumped from 18% to 52%
Her sales calls went from feeling like pitches to feeling like conversations with friends
Most importantly, she started attracting clients who were excited to work specifically with her
The same thing happened when I stopped trying to sound like the "gurus" and started sharing my actual thoughts about marketing and funnels (even the unconventional ones that made me nervous to say out loud).
What's Coming Next
Tomorrow, I want to share something that might surprise you...
It's about why your audience isn't just bored by sameness – they're actually psychologically wired to tune it out completely.
And once you understand this, everything about marketing starts to make sense.
Join the Conversation
Quick question: Have you ever created marketing content that felt "right" but scared you a little because it was so authentically you?
Drop us an email at [email protected] and tell me about it. I read every response and would love to hear your story.
Missed the first part? Read about "The Sameness Epidemic" that's taking over online marketing.
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About the Author: Melissa Ricker is a former nuclear engineer turned 7-figure business mentor. She helps coaches and course creators engineer predictable high-ticket sales using her signature LightBulb Method. When she's not helping clients turn on their prospects' lightbulbs, you can find her attempting to draw (badly) or chasing after her two energetic boys.
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