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A few Sundays ago I met the world’s greatest marketer.

I was not at a Web 3.0 convention or a Fortune 100 firm or a seminar at the University of Chicago. I was leaving church.

Standing on the sidewalk at the church’s parking lot exit was a young woman holding a sign and carrying a cup. Her clothes were old and a little tattered, but she had obviously taken time over her appearance and carried herself with dignity. The sign, written on cardboard, said something to the effect -

Please help me. I am a single mother with two children, trying to find a job. We need money for food and clothing. God bless you.

The woman’s plight moved me, and I gave her some money as we exited from the parking lot to the street. I hope she and her family make their way through these difficult times.

As a human being I was saddened by her suffering. As a marketer I was blown away by her strategy.

Timing. Asking for donations to relieve human suffering as people are leaving church – how could the timing be any better? Most often, companies send out their marketing messages at any old time. There is no catalyst to make people respond. In fact, asking for money when people are going about their business, with their minds on other things, is starting with one big strike against you. Think it over – when is the best time to send your message? Telemarketers notoriously violate the rules of timing when they call folks at home during dinner. Again, think carefully – might the timing of your message be worse than neutral?

Simplicity. The woman’s strategy and message were simple and straightforward. I got the message without even exactly reading the message. Complex strategies and intricate messages mainly confuse people, and confused people seldom take decisive action.

Originality. I live in the Chicago area, where, sad to say, hard cases press for money here, there, and everywhere – street corners, sidewalks, traffic intersections – you name it. But in all my years here, I’ve never seen anyone position herself – literally and figuratively – where this woman did. It seems so obvious … but I suppose most brilliant strategies do – after someone else has thought of them.

Resonance. It’s impossible to remain indifferent about this woman. Her appeal is deeply emotional. I hate putting it in these terms, but she paid careful attention to her content. She took the trouble to state her case. There was no guesswork involved as to her motives or intent, as there might be if a strange, shabbily dressed man or woman accosted you on the street. Do customers know where you are coming from? Do they care? Do you stir prospects into action, or is your message as flat as last night’s beer?


Positive Motivation. People asking for money on the street quite often put passersby on the defensive. Passersby may feel fearful or (again, sad to say) scornful toward them. A few may feel guilty enough to make a donation, but guilt or pity are rather negative motivators. The woman at church sought to inspire action by appealing to the sense of compassion and community and brotherhood that people presumably feel in high degree upon leaving church. She minimized potentially negative feelings by paying attention to her appearance. By refusing to take a “woe is me” stance, by asserting her human dignity, she reinforced the positive appeal of her message tenfold. Emotional messages are not enough – is your marketing message hitting the right emotional buttons?

Believability. There are cynics out there who believe every person asking for money on the street is running a scam. Ridiculous and contemptible as that attitude may be, it exists to a much greater degree in the business world, and perhaps with greater justification. Sure, the woman could have been making up her story, but if so, her audacity is admirable. I believed her. Nope, this woman couldn’t lose with me. Even if I had suspected her of running a scam, I would have given her money anyway as tribute to her ingenuity. What about your marketing message? Is it believable? And … are you brilliant enough to give skeptics a reason to buy, too?

On this blog, I like to talk about marketing strategies, tactics, and techniques. The world’s greatest marketer in the world made me feel woefully inadequate – at least as far as my blog is concerned. Reason being, she reminded me that marketing is much, much more than what’s going on in one’s head. Marketing is about heart and yes, even soul. Let’s hope that, in the interest of sustaining a strong economy where can people find work, we marketers always remember this.
g k chesterton and the problem of poverty

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word sell inc chicago online marketing servicesChicago based SEO copywriting, blog consulting, and content strategy consulting.