Golden Advertising Lessons from a Cleaning Lady

Lessons can be learned from everyday life. It does not necessarily present itself as a learning opportunity but when you think about it, there are lessons you can learn from mundane things. You just have to be attuned and sensitive to be able to pick up these golden lessons. Take this story for instance and pick up a few lessons on how to advertise successfully.

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon when I heard the door bell ring. I was not expecting anybody that day so I became wary. I opened the door to see who it was.

I was promptly greeted by a smiling face who presented me with a free bottle of a dishwashing liquid. This young lady told me that since she was in the neighborhood, she might as well drop by to give me this free gift. Being the doubting person that I am, my first thought was this was another sales pitch.

I was prepared to say no to any offer when she again smiled and told me that she just wanted to make my life easier. I know for sure that it was a sales pitch but it got me hooked. I don’t know what her product is so I decided to listen. Besides, I felt obligated to give her a bit of my free time since she gave me something for free anyway.

Golden Lesson # 1
Offer something genuinely free to your customers. It disarms them and makes them want to give back something in return. Be it a small token, door hangers with useful information, a sample…anything, as long as it is free.

She then asked me if I had any unwashed dishes on the kitchen counter. She told me that if I can spare her 10 minutes, she would wash the dishes with the same dishwashing liquid that she gave me. I hesitated initially, primarily because I was not in a buying mood that day but I thought to myself what the heck, I would have clean dishes anyway. So I decided to give in and allow the lady to come in and wash my dishes.

As she walked to the sink, she engaged me in small talk. She complimented me on my taste for interior decorations. When she reached the kitchen sink, she then asked me what brand of dishwashing liquid I used. She continued by asking me if I am completely satisfied with my brand.

Golden Lesson # 2
Get to know you customers. By collecting information about them, you can tailor your sales pitch and be able to make an offer that is hard for them to refuse.

Next, the lady began washing the dishes. While she was doing so, she continued to engage me in small talk. After doing all the dishes, she wiped them dry and left them on the counter top. Without saying a word, she looked at me and smiled. I guess that was my cue to inspect the dishes. I got a plate and scrutinized it. To my surprise, it was spotless, greaseless and almost like brand new.

Golden Lesson # 3
Prove your point. Just telling someone that your product or service works means nothing. You have to prove that you can and will do what you say.

After that, she thanked me and handed me a door hanger printing and told me that I could hang them near the kitchen sink or on the cabinets. I got the door hangers and read them. The door hangers had a step-by-step procedure on how to clean dishes like a pro. It was indeed a useful piece of information.

I asked her the price and told me that it is worth less than a liter of my favorite soda. Not bad, I told myself. Convinced to give it a try, I bought a bottle.

Golden Lesson #4
Save the price for last. Get them involved. If possible, break the price into as small an increment as you can. The smaller chunks give the customers something to think about.

Was it worth it? Yes and yes. It was worth my time and my dishes never looked the same.

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