Are you just standing there?

*Listen here if you prefer!

Interesting scenario:  which one are you?

There I was, stuck at the stoplight, waiting for it to turn green and let me make a turn.

Ahead of me was a guy, dressed in a white chef’s coat, holding a sign with an address and phone number.

He was obviously wanting to get people to notice his business, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out WHAT his business really was.

As I sat there, curious, I noticed that he had a friend or co-worker just a few hundred yards down the road…holding his sign.

They were getting a few glances, but all in all…just barely marketing their message.

Now the 2 guys on the other side of the main drag were having totally different results.
They were waving their signs, catching eye contact, motioning the passing cars to honk…everything and anything they could do to engage the people inside the cars.

From the direction that I sat at the light, I could not tell what business or offer they might be marketing, but they were the ones that got my attention.  I was curious…and curiosity wins everytime!

The light turned green and allowed me to go.  It wasn’t just the cars that were coming their direction that these 2 got the attention of, but also me…heading in the opposite direction.   They got me through curiosity alone.   I had to know what their sign said!

I craned my neck to see…and for the effort I got a friendly wave and smile.  Directly to me, as if to say “Thanks” for checking us out!

It made me laugh.   And it worked.  Because of the effort made to “engage” with me, I am now familiar with a new Restaurant that has opened up a few blocks down from my office.

So, it got me thinking.  What kind of results should you or I expect from just standing on a corner and holding out an “Open for business” sign?  Not too much…or at least, not enough that last.

When you engage with people you meet on social media, for example, posting that you’re “in business” is not going to bring you lots of prospects.  Everybody does that and it’s getting to be overkill.  Really,  it’s the curiosity factor that you want to share with people by connecting with them, sharing your true personality and experience (Value!) that ultimately leads someone into wanting to find out more about what you “do for a living.”   It’s the same as the sign holder.  Yes, he was representing his restaurant, but he was also sending a message that connecting with people was his mission.

It’s not always easy to set your product or opportunity aside and lead with YOU, but that will be a much better marketing plan in the long run.

Engage with people.  Connect with a message.  Create curiosity and then let them pick YOU.  This is attraction marketing in action!