"We've got to go see a man about a pool." A wonderfully funny inside joke between me and the brother, which ironically sums up our conversation this morning very well.
During a Sunday morning check in, we got on the topic of a new entrepreneurial venture he has in mind - well formulated in fact. The question was, which I believe to be on the minds of a number of savvy self-starters lately, "how do I get this concept off and running while keeping my day-job."
The threat is very much there, and while we've been convinced that a turn-around is soon to come, hence feeling as though the cliff is a bit further off than it was just months ago, it's still just as likely that any professional can begin tomorrow's 9 to 5 only to find that their desk has been sealed off before the first cup of coffee. Which has the tendency to separate people into two divisions, those who will fight to maintain, and those who will develop a plan of attack in preparation for the worst case scenario while fighting to maintain.
Which takes us to a tangent and not the purpose of this post. Instead, back to the potential side business. Selling pools.
Seems easy enough, although only practical given the right conditions, (Boston weather excluded, of course.) The brother, however, happens to be located in Houston, so a bit more logical a location. The question at hand over coffee this morning was: to hang a banner or post a sign in the neighborhood to attract the primary customer base, and what would be the language? My answer was instead another question - having identified the initial target audience, what is their main objective in choosing to buy a pool? And what will best speak to them based on that desire? More than simply, what will catch their attention while driving down the street. The conclusion we came to was - best to market to these folks in a way that wasn't so in their face. Who wants to see a bright blue banner on the nice new home in the cul-de-sac telling them to buy a pool? More of a disturbance to the neighborhood feel if you ask me... Amidst an overall strategy, what about instead starting by inviting the block over for a family-friendly pool party? Don't just give a testimonial - show one and talk around it. They feel and experience how great it is to have one, and it just so happens the one who can make it happen is the guy down the street they toss a casual 'hello' to every morning while stepping out to grab the paper.
The challenge is to get to the heart of what's behind purchasing decisions when faced with the demands of growing the customer base from zero, especially when taking into consideration an already saturated market, pun intended.
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