Why Gandalf Was a Marketing Wizard
YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
If you have been living under a rock for the last 60 years…it comes from Lord of the Rings and I’ve watched the cinematic trilogy…10 times or so, haha.
In this particular scene, Gandalf the grey is the only thing standing between his comrades and a Balrog (think of a dragon mating with the Hulk and this would be their baby.)
As the creature approaches them on the bridge, Gandalf stands firm, slams his staff down and yells… “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!”
Now if you actually haven’t seen the movie, I don’t want to give away what happens…but the reason I’m mentioning this specific quote is because of the reasoning and idea on why those words were said.
You see, Gandalf had a choice. Either run with the pack and all of them perish? Or stand his ground to in an effort to save them all.
This is a philosophy that I apply to Internet Marketing.
Whether it’s the Lord of the Rings Trilogy or The Hobbit, one of the most beloved characters has been Gandalf; the great wizard.
The interesting thing about his character though…is he never really blasted enemies into oblivion with fireballs or Isaac’s Greater Missle Storm (for your D&D nerds out there.) In fact, in contrast to the other characters of the story, Gandalf didn’t really “fight” all that much. So what makes him such a badass in the eyes of the readers/viewers?
Let’s take a look at it from the perspective of The Hobbit and the first installment of Lord of the Rings. What is the one thing Gandalf did from the very beginning of both stories?
He Networked.
Yep. He networked like a boss. He traveled the land, gathered the mightiest warriors and the most courageous adventurers. Then put them together under one roof, came up with a plan of action and executed it.
If you’re a Network or Internet Marketer, you could learn a thing or two from Gandalf.
1.) People respected him for his wisdom; not his magic or muscles. They knew they could seek his counsel because he was honest, experienced and had a proven track record.
2.) He showed them the path, but didn’t walk it for them. One of the most detrimental things you can do to yourself or others is to do all the work for them. This results in wasted time and the person you’re trying to help to never learn how to be self sufficient (so they can help others down the road.)
3.) He faced fear head on. No matter what stood in the way, Gandalf never ran out of fear. During your journey through life, there will be risks you need to take. Fears you’ll need to conquer and concerns you’ll need to eradicate. Remember, courage is not the absense of fear, it is the ability to act in the presence of fear.
4.) He knew when to back down. Sometimes, we bite off a little bit more than we can chew. We let our ego get in the way and we end up choking over it. Never be ashamed of backing down…only staying down.
Stand your ground in the face of fear. Stay focused. Stay determined and sometimes…you need to take a step away from “the pack” and be different in order to save them (as well as yourself) and even if you fall…you will come back even more powerful than ever.
