Shove Your Brochures

The man at my door kept shoving his flyer at me. I didn’t put my hand out to accept his flyer. He seemed surprised at my unwillingness to play his game.

He knocked on my door and interrupted my day. I owed him nothing yet he acted like I did.

He said, “This is for you.” as if it was a gift. Instead of accepting, I asked, “What’s it about?” I wasn’t wearing my reading glasses so I couldn’t read it. He told me and I answered that I wasn’t interested.

He walked away disappointed because he hadn’t given me his brochure.


The lessons for marketers:

Engage people in conversation to test and stimulate their interest. Why should anyone take and read your brochure?

Giving out brochures is not the measure of successful marketing yet so many marketers claim success because of the number of flyers mailed, brochure given out at a trade show or visits to a website.

Prospects are not obliged to play your game. That doesn’t make them rude. In fact you were rude to interrupt them. How can you be less rude and more inviting with your marketing?

The purpose of marketing is to sell things. Success means closing deals. Shove your brochures.


George Torok
Marketing Speaker