I credit these outside of the box marketing tools for the success in the various phases of my career – including helping me to garner 1.5 million followers. Read on for pointers…
Back in college, when I was working as a cocktail waitress, it seemed I was intuitively destined to become big in marketing – because I used some ballsy marketing tools to make more money than my other cocktail waitress peers.
Sure enough, after college, I later went on to become a Clio winning Creative Director in advertising. I still do one-on-one consulting for entrepreneurs and authors – helping them with branding and marketing. More about that over here!
I want to tell you my big outside-of-the-box marketing idea from my summer job during college.
I was working as a cocktail waitress at The Tamiment Resort in the Poconos.
It was a sweltering summer.
Unfortunately, I had to work poolside on these blistering days.
Even more unfortunately, nearly all my potential drink-buying customers were wisely cooling off within the pool – instead of lounging on the chaise lounges, where the management had positioned me to serve and make money.
The summer heat had literally dried up my sales opportunities.
Plus I personally was sweating and miserable.
I stripped down to my bathing suit, which was just one convenient layer beneath my standard Tamiment Resort apron uniform.
Then I slipped into the pool, with tray and order pad, and side-stroked around like an energetic bar-mermaid, and took lots of drink orders.
My customers loved the drink-ordering convenience – as well as the playful absurdity of a swimming cocktail waitress.
Everyone benefited. Particularly me. I made lots of money and got a nice, refreshing swim.
Plus, later in the evening at the cabaret lounge, I became known as “The Swimming Cocktail Waitress.”
This new moniker served me well.
There are a few Marketing Tools to be learned in this Swimming Cocktail Waitress story — so let’s plunge right in…
No matter how bad the times, customers with money exist. Seek and snag them!
During challenging times it’s essential you become a Maven of Trends and Demographics — then brainstorm new ways you might tweak your service/product to morph in your “Swimming-Action” to get you to paying customers.
So, hone in on what your Unique Selling Point is — then sharpen that point!
The more you’re remarkable, the more you’ll be marketable!
Don’t think about yourself as having a specific job.
When I decided to become a teenage Swimming Cocktail Waitress, I recognized that those customers in the swimming pool were sloshing around there because they were sweaty and hot.
They’d also crave refreshment — which no other waitress was bringing them — because everyone viewed themselves as simply being Lounge Chair Cocktail Waitresses.
How might your presence, talent, time, and energy solve today’s customer’s most basic problems/needs/fears?
You don’t need to work longer hours, just more fearless hours.
You’d think the day after my outing as a Teenage Swimming Cocktail Waitress I’d have created a tidal wave in that pool of swimming waitresses all dipping into my sales pond.
But no, no, no.
They all did exactly as instructed — not daring to think outside the box/inside the pool — and thereby they made a lot less money. The other waitresses let fear inter-fear with their success.
If you had limitless courage, how might you risk more so you could earn more?
What are you most afraid of? Failure? Poverty? Ego-bruising?
British economist John Stuart Mill had a great quote which helps risk-taking pioneers move forward past fear. He said: “Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption.”
This quote makes a valuable golden rule for success… so…
Be ready for your fearless ideas to undergo ridicule and discussion, before adoption.
When I jumped into that swimming pool with tray in hand, the first reaction was sniggers (aka: ridicule).
Next came whispers (aka: discussion).
Then finally those dollar-producing drink orders (adoption!).
Don’t let fear inter-fear with your swimming in new career waters.
Write up 2 lists on a small card of:
Put this card in your wallet — where all your money is!
Whenever fear strikes, strike back with your confidence-boosting and passion-boosting lists!
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