Posted by admin | Posted in A shift in advertising, Personal Insight | Posted on 28-12-2009
Should we appreciate Santa more for what he does or the kind of person he is? I’m not talking about Christmas as a holiday as much as referring to the spirit of the season. What does Santa do? He delivers gifts to all the good little girls and boys throughout the entire world. Kids track his route on Nexrad radar, eagerly anticipating his arrival at their house no matter wher it is. To them, he’s the hope of the season for getting “everything they always wanted”. But is THAT what’s really important here? Or is it the KIND of person it takes to be Santa that matters most? What kind of person is willing to sacrifice his entire evening flying around the world with a sleigh full of toys being pulled by a bunch of reindeer? Admittedly it would be fun to hang out with him for an hour or so, but to keep doing it year-in and year-out?
So many people see any gathering of multiple people as an opportunity to promote what they do to others. That’s what we’re taught in “sales school”, right? “If someone doesn’t know what you do, how can they ever ask you for help?” is a common argument. Totally understandable in the old way of thinking, but what about today when there are hundreds of alternatives to the products and services we offer? Does it really matter more than who we are as people? And if I don’t really like you as a person, why in the world would I want to do business with you? If you’re attending a party among friends, they already know what you do.
Santa is certainly kind enough to give you his business card if you ask for it, but he’s not going to just hand them out without being asked first…perhaps you shouldn’t either.