This is an ode to my previous supervisor at my old 9 to 5, and an introduction to important elements of selling and marketing products – from breaking down barriers to purchase to urgency. There are parts in here that are very sarcastic, take all advice with a grain of salt.
I left my 9 to 5 to pursue full-time entrepreneurship in February (that’s why I have been gone – trying to figure all of this out!). While walking out I realized something – I learned a lot from my marketing director of 3 years. He is sharp, intelligent, with an appreciation for inside jokes. Beyond his 90s soft rock references, never-ending supply of puns, and fart jokes – he helped to mentor me from a marketing novice to a full-fledged assistant marketing manager. In under 3 years, I was managing processes, developing strategies, and creating content far superior to my MBA-holding coworkers. I did a lot of independent studying during my time working with him, but I equally did a lot of learning from him as well. Here is one of the final lessons he gave me: how to hustle Girl Scout Cookies.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fYZM6R9gkh8
Let me start off by saying, he can be a bit of procrastinator. I blame that on how busy he is. Nevertheless, he waited until two days before they were due to start selling a single box of Girl Scout cookies in the office. Most of the sugar addicts and Girl Scout supporters in the office had placed their orders at least a month prior, and the other Girl Scout plugs in the office already made it clear that the office was their turf.
So, what does the marketing director of a multi-million dollar brand do when he is crunched for time? He breaks out classic lessons from marketing 201 classes, duh.
Right when you exit the elevator, on the breakroom’s fridge, and on frequently used doors throughout the office, he placed simple, but effective advertisements to encourage more sales of his daughter’s Girl Scout cookies.
By the end of the day, he had gathered purchases from all around the office, even was able to get an order from his “competition.” Let’s analyze what he did.
Marketing Strategies 101
URGENCY:
Our brains prioritize tasks with a shorter deadline over more important tasks that have a longer window of completion. Because of this, phrases that encourage immediate action — like “today only,” “hurry,” “ends soon,” and “last day” can help boost limited time sales or promo codes usage. The actual expiration date should be smaller than your urgency phrase, because seeing the date may reduce the since of urgency. Urgency phrases should be large and/or bold, so they can be seen quickly.
BARRIERS- TO-PURCHASE:
What are some reasons, or barriers, that someone would have for denying Girl Scout Cookies in January? A resolution related diet could be one, or flat out not wanting any. He solves each of these barriers-to-purchase throughout the ad. Firstly, ain’t no diet. Secondly, if you don’t want them, your family will be delighted with a box of Girl Scout cookies. Solving any barrier to purchase is a great way to convince a sale.
GUILT TRIP
Guilt-trip marketing is a tactic often used exhaustively by non-profits. And it can work.
Guilt them with the idea of donating to the less fortunate, if this fits your business model. Please don’t lie, but there are ways to use this strategy. The marketing director through troops in as a great guilt trip. Of course, the people protecting your way of life would love some Thin Mints, Jessica. Unless… you hate the troops…
And if your business model doesn’t include any way to donate to the less fortunate, “your kid or wife will hate you if you don’t/love you if you did” is a valid guilt trip that can work. Or don’t let your neighbor outdo your lawn – jealousy works here too. There are a few different angles you can use for guilt-tripping your consumer. I personally don’t care for this tactic, as it is very manipulative, but it can work.
Marketing Tactics He Forgot
SOCIAL PROOF:
Ahh, validation.
Unnecessary, yet, so satisfying. He included pictures of some of the most popular cookies – he should have also included reviews from the web or from other coworkers on the flyer.
He could’ve also said something like “14 of your coworkers have supported the Girl Scout’s fundraiser AND donated to the troops. Won’t you join them?” Double whammy! Reviews, testimonials, knowing what similar people have purchased are all great ways to harness the power of social proof.
GOOD DESIGN:
Um. Listen, I know everyone didn’t have the opportunity to study at Bauhaus. I understand that. But…dang. Where’s the pop? Pow? Zing?
Make your advertisements attracting and pleasing to the eye, without it being too cluttered or overwhelming. When designing, the colors you use can increase the efficacy of the ad. For example, the colors that tend to convert are blue, orange, and red. Unfortunately, this sign missed that memo – and a lot of other good design cues….
Again, we don’t need Bauhaus level design, but I believe more conversions can happen when your advertisement is pleasing to look at.
OBJECTION-READY:
When you see someone begging for money, what’s the first objection you may have?
You: “Sorry, no cash.” *shrugs, internal smirk, and hurries away*
Homeless guy: “I take cash app.” *external smirk that says not so fast my brother/sister…*
You….what…
Barriers-to-purchase help you stay objection ready, but there are typically other accessibility factors that you want to consider to eliminate any objections. Give an easy solution, especially if you’re selling directly. No cash? Oh, I take PayPal. Can’t pay in full? I offer payment plans. Eliminate objections by any means. I saw some girls selling cookies the other day, and they had all their objections-responses ready so they could close their deal. And they did.
That’s it for this post, but I am planning to post a lot more around here based on conversations I’ve had with potential clients. Stay tuned!