By Wesley B Murph
I don’t know where you live.
But in my neighborhood coffee is KING.
In fact, people worship coffee. And for some strange reason that’s always surprised me. Don’t get me wrong. I like a piping hot cup of java in the morning to get my brain lubricated with red hot marketing ideas.
But when you stop and think about it, you have to admit that coffee doesn’t taste all that good.
In any event, I’ve figured out a way to sit in my local coffee joint in order to make my marketing chops razor sharp. And while this tip “works”, I want to warn you that it is for more advance marketers. Someone who already understands that basics of direct response marketing like: an offer… a guarantee… a bold headline… and persuasive sales copy.
So keep reading if this is you because this marketing tip will help.
But if you’re new to direct response marketing then you may want to stop here.
Here’s the marketing tip:
Once a month, I’ll get a pad of paper and a pen, and I’ll head down to my local coffee joint. When I get there, I’ll buy a small cup of black coffee. I’ll add a squirt of cream to cool it down and mellow-out the flavor.
And I’ll then grab a seat closest to the flow of traffic coming into the coffee shop.
And for as long as it takes me to drink my cup of coffee, I’ll just watch people and make notes on my yellow pad of lined paper.
And while I’m looking at people, my marketing radar is working like a hound dog on a hot scent… listening for what people say.
How they are dressed?
What mood they are in?
What they buy?
Do they have kids with them?
How old are their shoes?
How do they walk?
What is their posture?
I carefully “people watch” while I’m perched in my chair.
And boy does this help me write sizzling hot marketing campaigns.
Why?
Because I am keeping my finger on the pulse of the common man.
These are the same people that are most likely to buy what I have to sell.
And as a result, I must know who they are and what makes them tick.
Famous copywriter Eugene Schwartz used a similar technique like this which is probably why most of Schwartz’s ads were blockbusters.
None the less, using my “coffee shop” approach is an advanced sales and marketing strategy that can help you stay dialed into the “everyday buyer” which can be the small difference that makes all the difference when you go to write your next marketing campaign.
And one last thing:
If you are serious about growing your business, then more than likely all you need is a few more good ideas like the one in this article.
So ask yourself this:
Where can you turn for more good ideas like what you just read in this article?
In my humble opinion, you have to be careful where you look for good ideas because just about everybody and their brother claims to be a so-called ‘business expert’.
Remember:
Saying is one thing.
Doing is another.
And most of these “talking heads” have never run their own successful small business.