What a 6 Year Old Taught Me About Marketing a Business

There are times when I envy the life of a six year old. Who wouldn't want to have their only responsibility be to aim when they pee? That's the life if you ask me.
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Many of you have children, or have had children that are now grown.

Or maybe you don't have any. But we all know at least one person that does.

There are times when I envy the life of a six year old. Who wouldn't want to have their only responsibility be to aim when they pee? That's the life if you ask me.

A few months back, I had dinner with an old friend I hadn't seen in years. It was also the first time meeting his two sons, who were now both six years old. Although they had never met me, they spoke to me as though they've known me forever, talking about school and their video games and toys.

As the night went on, I realized there are a lot of traits a six year old has that I wish us adults had more of. Even better, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from our little one's about building up a successful business.

Here's what my dinner with the Anderson kids reinforced about successful marketing.

A six year old shares everything with everyone:
Twenty minutes couldn't go by without them pushing a new toy my way, and describing in extreme detail why it was the best thing since sliced bread. Share your products and services like a 6 year old. Share it with friends, family, neighbors, strangers, social media, social gatherings, anywhere that someone will listen. Hustling is what gets things recognized.

They seem to be able to instantly make friends:
I don't know where along the adult cycle we lose this ability, but every young kid I've seen is able to simply walk up to another kid, introduce themselves, maybe offer up a cookie or turn on the video game, and as easy as that, they are best friends. I've always thought we should network to build genuine friendships with interesting people, instead of having a hidden agenda of wanting something in the future. Offer them someone to bounce ideas off of, help when you can without expecting anything in return, and focus on building a real friendship. When I've done this, rather than focusing on gaining something, I've found the rewards to be much greater both personally and financially.

They speak up when they don't like something:
If your kid doesn't like a decision you made or doesn't like what he got in his lunch box, you're going to hear about it. Again, this points directly to another great marketing strategy. We all have things in our industries that we don't like or don't agree with, so take a controversial stance on a topic or idea that you feel passionate about and submit it as a guest blog post or to a news publication. You may even decide to write a book about it. People love controversy, and taking a risky stance on something can get you publicity money can't buy.

They're full of energy, and are passionate about even the smallest of things:
Have you ever seen a child get so worked up about even the smallest little Lego piece? That's what I'm talking about. Young ones seem to be so passionate about their belongings and hobbies, and it's rare to see that in the adult world. The only way your customers are going to be excited to buy from you is if you show them how excited you are about your own products. Let your excitement show in all your promo videos, sales pages, events you attend, everywhere!

They know how to get what they want:
I witnessed this at the Anderson household. Little Anderson wanted a brownie, but his mother told him it was too close to dinner. So little Anderson proposed a deal; he would receive half the brownie before dinner, and would only receive the other half if he finished all of this dinner. Needless to say he got what he wanted. So remember, when you are going into a sales appointment or consultation, have a clear picture in your mind of what you want, and what you'd be willing to accept as a bottom line. Ask the necessary questions to the person you're selling to, like what kind of deal they have made before on a similar product or service, or find out how badly they need your services. Keeping these things in mind will only make it easier to get what you are after; just like little Anderson did.

They stick to a consistent schedule:
This may be against their will, but it does contribute to how much energy we see them have throughout the day. Every day they have breakfast, go to school, have lunch, come home, play, dinner, and then bed. As a small business owner you could literally work 24/7/365 if you really wanted to. But that's how you lose your focus and burn out. So have a schedule and stick to it, take breaks, and get to bed at a decent hour. You'll thank yourself down the road.

They aren't embarrassed about anything:
We all know that kids seem to have no shame whatsoever. To me, that's much more of a good thing than a bad. I meet countless business owners afraid to implement anything because they may get ridiculed or rejected. Just know this; there are some haters and trolls out there trying to put everyone down. But the majority of people really do want to see you succeed; it gives them hope and shows them what's possible. Besides, if your product or service can truly help someone, then everyday you don't get it in their hands is a day they have to suffer with their problem. So give it all you have and don't be afraid to release it to the world.

And finally, they still believe that anything is possible:
It seems so simple, yet it is a huge barrier to success for a lot of people. Children seem to have no doubt in their mind when they talk about being an astronaut or a race car driver. And thinking in this positive manner as an adult will lead to pushing for your goals with unmatched determination and drive. Did you ever see Muhammed Ali box? There was no doubt in his mind he was the greatest. Stay in that mindset long enough, and it becomes the truth.

For real-world marketing and sales tactics from Jeremy, visit jeremysandow.com

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