When I was working in real estate as a ‘Property Specialist’ (aka: agent), the thing I hated the most was manning duties.
Manning duties were simple.
We had booths and showrooms, and every agent was scheduled to man them.
We had to spend almost the whole day finding leads and giving out flyers… IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
Yup.
See, I hated that because I have a sick mother at home with a low immune system…
… and I’m her primary caretaker.
And there I was, in the malls, day in and day out, trying to talk to people who were probably freaking out every time I extended my arms or removed my face shield to wipe the fog off of it.
Whatta risky way to live.
But aside from that, I also don’t like the task itself.
I had no game giving out flyers.
I’m an awkward guy. My words are my strength.
To be honest, I only got that job because I was told all I had to do was sell on Facebook.
I didn’t sign up for this manning bullshyt!
…
Okay, okay, I’m okay.
That was years ago.
You’re just reading about it now because earlier, I saw this video of a man giving out flyers.
And man, I really wish I had done what he did.
His approach was genius.
I was more ashamed of my performance because of this.
So he stands in an area with heavy foot traffic…
But instead of just giving out the flyers?
He stops people in their tracks… slowly getting closer while shuffling the flyers like he’s gonna do some card tricks…
Then he says:
“Alright, ma’am, pick one…”
Then the lady picks one.
“Great, thanks! We’re open on weekends!”
…
…
Then he walked away to find his next victim — errr, I mean lead.
That’s freakin’ genius. GE-NI-US!.
I’d have had more people taking my flyers with my name on them if I’d done that before!
And I could’ve actually enjoyed my time during those stupid manning shifts.
I really think I could’ve done that better than yelling, “Hello! 2-bedroom units here at Commons, zero down payment!”
Ugh.
So much potential for fun was wasted.
But see, that’s a good positioning lesson right there.
That genius trick worked because he turned a boring, ignorable thing — a freakin’ flyer — into a micro experience.
He disrupted the people’s autopilot brains.
No idea about all that when I was an agent.
But now, it’s one of my favorite things to look at when figuring out a brand’s positioning.
For example, in the cookie biz that we’re building?
I’m doing something similar.
Selling via emai.
It’s a channel everyone ignores, until we make it feel different.
See, when we were looking around the market, nobody is selling — or selling well — through emails.
None of them.
That means, essentially, we’re exploring new territory here.
And that’s our “magic” trick.
So what am I saying here?
Simple.
If you’re stuck on price wars and stiff competition, this is one way to position your brand.
Try to figure out a different selling method that will make you stand out like a sore thumb.
But of course, you can’t force uniqueness for the sake of it.
Positioning is crucial, but you still have to make everything clear and easy for your audience.
It’s stupid to be so different that you’ve already alienated your brand from the market.
Find the balance.
For more email tips and principles like this, go here: