A Child s Guide to Marketing

A Child's Guide to Marketing

One summer, I decided to sell my car. I was washing my car, and I asked my then six-year-old daughter, Hallie, to help me make a large "For Sale" sign. We got the car all clean and shiny, and placed the sign in the car window. I gathered up the pails and sponges, and headed back toward the garage.

All of a sudden, I heard Hallie, in her loudest six-year-old voice, shouting, "Car for sale! My daddy's car for sale!" I came out of the garage and said, "Hallie, what are you doing?"

"Daddy," she said, "nobody's going to know the car is for sale if we don't tell them!"

Hallie had a natural understanding of the power of marketing. It's a power that we all have, but we don't always understand. Even though we're not all salespeople, we all sell something. It may be a product, a service, or an idea, but we're selling something. And in every situation—business and social—we're selling ourselves.

There is no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed to let other people know who you are and what you do. Never be afraid to stand at the end of your driveway and shout your message to anyone who will listen.