The Key to A Strong Marketing Message: Observe the World Around You

It was late July and our tomatoes were exploding.  I was picking 20 – 50 cherry tomatoes a day. I couldn’t keep up.  Fortunately I was hosting a mastermind intensive.  I had a captive audience for two days.  I brought tomatoes in, put them in bowls and placed a bowl on each table.  I told the attendees that they had to finish their tomatoes and enjoy.

One table went right to work and quickly finished off half the bowl.  The other table barely made a dent.  They all joked about who would finish first.

A few hours later there was an announcement from the “slower” table.  They had finished their tomatoes.  

By now you’re probably wondering what the point of the story is.

You see, there are things happening around you every single day that add value to who you are and what you’re doing.  That teaches you lessons about yourself and lessons that you can use in your business.

There were eight of us in that room.  I went around that room and asked each of them what lesson they learned from the “tomato eating competition” that they could apply to their business.

One business owner managed social media campaigns.  She chimed in that winning a competition (especially coming from behind) could be a great opportunity for a business to post wins on social media, to increase their publicity and attract clients.

Another business owner analyzes customer databases to better able to target messages.  He said, that even if you’re behind with your marketing now, it is possible to catch up and surpass your competition.

A third business owner there is an advisor for Fortune 500 companies.  He said that if you think you’re on top it’s important to stay abreast with the world around you and your competition.

So what can you take away from this story?

The lessons are there for you everywhere you look; the trick is to be observant and open to playing with new ideas.  Think about the everyday things that happen to you and the people around you.  Then ask yourself how you can apply your point of view or your message to it.

What happened to you today that you could apply to your business?  Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.