I am often asked, “Do I have to market my company?” ” Do I have to tell people about my product?”” Do I have to explain to people what I do?” ‘Do I have to tell people about myself on my website?” The short answer: Yes! You have to market and sell everything in your life if you want it to be the best it can be.
The long answer is best explained by telling you my story about my mom who marketed and sold my brother and I the benefits of getting good grades, doing our chores, and staying healthy with Friday night celebrations.
It started around the third grade, my mom would wake my brother and I for school every day, but on Friday, we would be awoken by an, IT’S FRIDAYYYY!!!!!, yell of excitement. We would jump out of bed, get ready for school and be on our way. This was never how we acted on a Monday morning, ever. Fridays were different, they were fun and to be celebrated.
My mom marketed to us that Fridays were a special day with the promise of pizza, pop, a movie, or a visit to my cousins house, whatever it was, it was going to be fun. There were rules about Fridays:
1. We could only have a fun Friday if we did good in school
2. Did our chores AND
3. No staying home sick if you really weren’t, especially on Friday(if you were sick on Friday and did not go to school you would surely not be well enough for Friday night festivities). Come hell or high water, my brother and I were NEVER sick on Fridays, we got good grades and our chores were done before Friday.
So here’s the breakdown of what my mom accomplished with a bottle of pop, a pizza, and an hour or two of entertainment:
1. Kids who did their chores without being prompted to do so
2. Kids who got good grades
3. Kids who did not stay home from school unless they were really sick
4. Kids who, to this day, have a good work ethic (I still make sure EVERYTHING is done before noon on Friday – I mean dang, it’s Friday and there is fun out there to have)
5. No matter how busy, a Friday night of fun and family.
Now don’t get me wrong, I know my single mom was sacrificing her Friday night for my brother and I, but what a little price to pay for the benefits my mom got – savvy she is.
Sales and marketing can and should be used in every aspect of your life. How else will anyone know the benefits of buying what you have, taking your advice, or simply knowing who you are. The next time you say to yourself “Do I have to talk about myself/company/product” the answer is YES! Just do it, you will be amazed at what comes your way – besides, it can be a lot of fun and you can reap the rewards of doing it right. What do I mean by “right?” I mean, the way that no one will ever forget. Just like I will never forget …
… IT’S FRIDAYYYY!!!!!
For this Friday night celebration, it’s la Madeleine. Here’s to you mom, the first savvy marketer/saleswoman I ever knew.
