The secret "schemas" that silently control your life (and guide your behavior)

It seems like [yesterday's email about Schema Therapy]() resonated with people... (I got scores of enthusiastic replies - thank you for that!) So I'm continuing this thread with Part 2. And in this email, I'm going to: ✅ Identify the 5 main Schema "domains" ✅ List all 18 of the early maladaptive schemas within these domains ✅ Briefly explain why each of these emerge (and how they impact our lives) ✅ And give you some times on how you can ethically leverage these psychological principles in your marketing messaging & strategy Now... Before we jump into it, here's a quick reminder of what an "Early Maladaptive Schema" is: - a broad, pervasive theme or pattern - comprised of memories, emotions, cognitions, and bodily sensations - regarding oneself and one’s relationships with others - developed during childhood or adolescence - elaborated throughout one’s lifetime and - dysfunctional to a significant degree Truth be told... I've never seen anyone talk about this before (except legendary copywriter Parris Lampropoulos during a Copy Chief Live presentation back in 2017)... So pay close attention because this genuinely is breakthrough stuff. Onward! ​ Domain I: Disconnection/Rejection ​ This first domain is all about insecure attachment. People who have these types of schemas lack the ability to form secure bonds with others... Mainly because their needs for love, support, guidance, and belonging were not met by the attachment figures (or caregivers) during early childhood. And their biggest tragedy is that they constantly "reenact" their past traumatic experiences in their relationships :( This domain includes 5 schemas: ​ Schema #1 - Abandonment/Instability This schema arises from experiences of being abandoned or feeling unstable in relationships. People with this schema may fear being left alone or rejected... So they usually cling to relationships (or avoid them altogether!)... Leading to difficulties in forming healthy connections. How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Highlight the stability and longevity of your brand 2 - Build lots of trust before trying to sell people something 3 - Use stronger guarantees to reassure people that it's OK to buy from you, and that you're not gonna simply "ditch" them afterwards ​ Schema #2 - Mistrust/Abuse This one stems from betrayal and/or abuse from their past. People with this schema actively anticipate harm or deception from others... And they may struggle to trust even well-meaning people in their lives...leading to strained relationships and a constant state of "vigilance". They're the paranoid "Grandpa Rick's" in financial markets, for example. How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Use TONS of Proof elements (testimonials, case studies, Reason Why elements) 2 - Be honest and transparent in your copy to alleviate fears of deception (ex: "Why am I offering this for free? Because I want to give you a shameless bribe") 3 - Talk about your Beliefs and Values (in a "Credo" email, for example - explained in my Rapid Lead Activator book) IMPORTANT: Most copywriters (especially in financial and health niches) actively manipulate people with this by playing on their already-existing fears and paranoia. This is unethical and it doesn't truly HELP people... so please don't do it! ​ Schema #3 - Emotional Deprivation People with this schema feel a chronic sense of emptiness or emotional neglect. They may seek validation from their surroundings, leading to dependency or clinging behavior in relationships. I used to have this for a looooong time... and it made my life miserable. How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Focus your copy (especially the "Paint the Dream" part) on fulfilling emotional needs 2 - Instead of Features, highlight more Benefits that bring joy and fulfillment 3 - Give people the chance to join a community where they can belong and lower their feelings of "emptiness" ​ Schema #4 - Defectiveness/Shame People with this schema have deep-seated feelings of inadequacy and/or unworthiness. They may believe they are inherently flawed or unlovable... Making them avoid situations that could trigger feelings of shame at all costs. Most Impostor Syndrome stems from this schema :( (I used to struggle with this A LOT when I got started as a copywriter) How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Craft messaging that ultimately promotes self-acceptance and self-love 2 - Use "Rags to Riches"-style stories where the protagonist really was a nobody... and then became successful (lots of Disney movies also use this!) [If you want to dive deeper into StorySelling, I have a whole module about it HERE]()​ 3 - Highlight the Transformation your product / service will induce in them. How they'll become a better version of themselves ​ Schema #5 - Social Isolation/Alienation This schema stems from a sense of feeling fundamentally different or disconnected from others. People with this schema usually feel isolated or misunderstood... Leading to withdrawal from social interactions and a stubborn denial to seek support. How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Use copy that highlights how -- by joining your programs -- people can finally be part of the "cool kids" 2 - Highlight how the info you're selling is a closely guarded secret that only a handful of "initiated" people know about 3 - Empathize with- and validate the feelings of your prospects in your storytelling ​ Domain II: Impaired Autonomy and/or Performance ​ This domain is all about a lack of Self and self-agency. People who develop this type of schema have not formed a stable perception of who they are... And how they could function as independent individuals. These types of schemas usually develop when someone grows up in a family where their parents were way too overprotective... Too involved in their lives... Or careless about their development. This group includes 4 schemas: ​ Schema #6 - Dependence/Incompetence People with this schema struggle with feelings of inadequacy and a fear of making mistakes. They may rely way too much on others for guidance or reassurance... Crippling their ability to take initiative or make decisions independently. How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Show up as a calm, confident, courageous leader (to inspire people to follow you -- but please DON'T turn into a narcissistic dictator!) 2 - Tell people your Origin Story and don't be afraid to include lots of details 3 - Highlight how your system is simple, easy-to-use, and anyone can do it ​ Schema #7 - Vulnerability to Harm or Illness This schema causes people to perceive themselves as inherently fragile or susceptible to harm. It usually develops from traumatic childhood experiences (and health concerns). People with this schema usually try to stay EXTRA SAFE... Or they may avoid risks altogether. (thereby limiting their personal growth and fulfillment) How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Position your product or service as a source of protection and support for your customers' well-being 2 - Provide LOTS of Proof elements 3 - Try to minimize their perceived risk during their Customer Journey as much as possible (guarantee, risk-reversal, explaining what will happen when they purchase, etc.) ​ Schema #8 - Enmeshment/Undeveloped Self People with this schema struggle to establish boundaries and differentiate their own Identity from others. They may feel engulfed or controlled by relationships... Leading to a lack of autonomy and difficulty asserting their own needs. How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Use copy that makes them feel Inspired and Empowered 2 - Offer products or services that promote individuality and personal growth 3 - Bond with them emotionally in your stories and emails ​ Schema #9 - Failure This schema is all about feeling like you can't meet certain high standards of performance or success. Procrastination... Perfectionism... Avoiding challenges... They ALL primarily stem from this schema. It's all about "avoiding potential failure" with this one. (which totally hinders personal and professional growth) How you can ETHICALLY leverage this schema in your marketing: 1 - Spend more time "agitating" their problem (during the Problem, Agitation, Solution framework, for example) 2 - Use plenty of success stories or case studies to demonstrate how others have overcome similar challenges 3 - Highlight how your product / service is brain-dead simple to use and implement... and will work EVEN IF nothing has worked before === And the next domain is... WOW... Would you look at that? We're already at 1383 words 😅 This email became much longer than I expected... And we still have 9 more schemas to go! So I've decided to stop here for now... and cover the rest of them in Part 3. I wasn't planning on it, to be honest... But it's probably better for everyone this way. In the meantime, could you do me a favor, {NAME}? Could you please hit reply and tell me if you're enjoying this? The reason why I'm asking is that content-heavy emails like this one (that focus exclusively on teaching) usually don't perform that well with most audiences... ...And I want to see whether my audience is different. So tell me, {NAME}: Should I do more of these types of in-depth analyses or not? Believe it or not, your voice matters :) ( ^ ^ FUN FACT: Can you guess which schema this last line appeals to? 😜) Cheers, -Csaba ​ ALSO, Here are a few ways I can help you, whenever you're ready... 1. Get my "7-Day Rainmaker Email Sequence" template pack for just $7! This is a proven 7-day email campaign designed to quickly give you a surge of new sales from your email list. With these "fill-in-the-blanks" templates, you can start sending high-converting emails within minutes! And right now, you can grab it for just 7 bucks. [Get it here >>]()​ 2. Grab My Million-Dollar Copywriting Swipe Library Steal my MASSIVE, 2000+ page library of various high-converting copywriting samples, including over 130 emails, 81 long-form sales pages, 160 Facebook Ads... and -- of course -- the OFFICIAL swipe file for my 100-Day Proven Sales Letter Breakdown Challenge! [Grab it now >>](​ 3. Discover the art & science of sending profitable emails your fans will LOVE Without being sleazy, pushy, or losing your sanity in the process... Rainmaker Email Mastery empowers you to confidently turn email subscribers into an automatic revenue engine, EVEN IF you can barely write your own grocery list... [Enroll today >>](=)​ 4. Explore my product catalog and treat yourself Inside, you’ll find courses on profitable email marketing, kickstarting a freelance copywriting career, email template packs, swipe file collections, and even my flagship emotional response marketing system, Breakthrough Conversions Academy. [See which one’s right for you >>](=)​ 5. Feeling stuck with a specific marketing problem? Let's schedule a 1-hour consulting session, just you and me. We'll figure out the real reason behind this problem and you'll come away with a laser-focused step-by-step plan on exactly how to fix it so you can grow your business. [Book Your Spot Here Today >>](=) ​ Please add csaba@gameofconversions.com to your address book or whitelist us. Want to change how you receive my emails? You can easily [Update your profile]( or [Unsubscribe]( Our mailing address is: 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205