What gum removal has to do with your work

• Mon, January 05 2009
• Filed under: Marketing essentials

Here are some of the things I did today in addition to working all day, doing carpool and writing sixth grade school applications:

I removed gum from my older daughter’s hair (mayonnaise works).  She has “no idea” how this happened. 

I listened to my five year old read her first book start to finish.  Wow.

I found out a $100 gift card I sent my dad never arrived so I tried to call customer service at the company but they’re not open.

I worried about my bank account post-holiday.

All of this unfolded to the musical accompaniment of an iDog playing Rihanna.

So what’s my point here? 

This is daily life.  Doing an Internet search for gum removal, smearing Hellman’s on a child’s hair, handling the daily inconveniences, watching a child cross a massive developmental milestone, listening to your preteen’s music selections, thinking about what’s important and (unfortunately) about what’s not important.

Your audience is living daily life.

They are NOT sitting in an empty white room with no stimulation whatsoever awaiting your message.

I know this sounds obvious but maybe it isn’t.

Look at whatever you were about to say to your audience.  Would it have gotten through to me while I was doing any of the above?  Does it break through all the exciting and distracting and incredible things unfolding around the average person?

Or would it only work if I was seated alone in a blank space awaiting your message with bated breath?

If the answer to the second question is yes, start over.

Remember: people have lives.  Make them want you as part of that life.  Work hard to do that.  You have to.  Because dried up gum, sadly, is more pressing than the direct mail sitting on my table.

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