Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Is that a rubber chicken or are you just happy to see me?

Most companies have a nice basket of flowers in the middle of their conference room tables. At RWA, we have a basket of rubber chickens. Visitors find them irresistible. Some play with them. Some giggle. Some just stare.

The reactions change, but there’s always a reaction. And, that’s the whole reason behind having a basket of rubber chickens hanging around your conference room.

We can’t take all the credit for the rubber chickens. Most of it goes to Jon Spoelstra and a great book that he wrote called “Marketing Outrageously.”

In his book, Jon sends rubber chickens to NBA fans that had not renewed their season tickets. Guess what? A lot of them renewed. Few people can resist a rubber chicken.

The rubber chicken is just one example of how to grab the attention of a hard-to-reach prospect. If your letters, oversized postcards and brochures have not hit the mark, lumpy mail is a great way to get a foot – or a claw – in the door.

Food is also a welcome diversion during the workday. Pack up a bunch of fortune cookies with a note saying “Today could be your lucky day, but you’ll never know why unless you call me.” Or, send a case of $100,000 bars with a message of “Making money can be this sweet.” I once met a party planner who sent a watermelon to 10 large companies about their summer parties. She booked eight of them.

Over the years we have sent custom labeled steak sauce, prescription bottles, helium balloons, pinwheels, miniature spaceships, foam fingers and even a sports locker to potential customers. They don’t always lead to a sale, but they are always remembered. And who knows… two years down the road your prospect may pick up the phone and call that guy who sent him that Eiffel tower made out of paperclips that’s still sitting on his desk.

You could be that guy.

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