I watched a business show over the weekend wherein a few contestants had to sell as many cupcakes from the cupcake truck as possible in a short period of time. They were racing against time, against attention spans, against people plugged in their own world.
Was it their quick gimmicks, on the spot catered remarks to passersby, and baker’s hat they wore that led them to sell a ton of cupcakes in a short period of time? Sure.
Sprinting to sell works… for the short-term.
Will any of those customers come back? Will they tell their friends? Did the contestants make an emotional connection with the consumers? Did they leave with their hearts as full as their stomachs?
The cupcake truck owners will dine nicely this week, but what about next. What stunts will they pull next week? Or the week after that? Like any clever ad, it eventually gets old… and sprinting to come up with the next attention-grabbing zinger is exhausting.
Better, I think, to ignore the sprint and realize you have an opportunity, you have permission, you have the privilege to use your voice and your magic for those who are going to stay for a while, buy two cupcakes because they care, and bring a friend back later.
Don’t let the fun tricks distract you from running your marathon, from fulfilling your mission. The five-year one, not the five-minute one.
Stay Positive & Amplify Interest, Don’t Waste Your Time Trying To Create It
Photo credit
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