Wanna draw a big crowd?
Strippers may do the trick…
…at least if the event is a funeral…
…and the funeral is in China.
Funeral strippers? Yep, that’s a thing in China — so much so that the government recently cracked down.
Communist Party killjoys called the practice “obscene and vulgar.”
But the practice persists, according to the BBC.
Why? A few theories:
Hire a few pole dancers to lead your funeral procession, and you tell the world you have money to burn.
Plus, strippers make your funeral WAY more entertaining than it otherwise might be.
So you will increase attendance…
…which will make you appear more important.
This got me thinking about all the people who probably will skip my funeral…
…unless I sweeten the deal.
My funeral will be in the American Heartland. No funeral strippers here.
Plan B: Maybe I can hire Elton John to perform “Candle in the Wind.” That’ll pack the room.
But ultimately, what’s the point?
In life (and death), aren’t we better off if we surround ourselves with people who really want to be with us?
Those people who hang out with us only because we entice them with strippers or Elton John — who needs ‘em?
So it goes with marketing.
Marketers use all sorts of tricks to entice people to show up and to sign up.
Enter a to win a valuable gizmo. Come see the high-priced talent at our extravagant. Hang out with important people so you can feel important, too.
Most of the people you attract this way don’t give a hoot about you, your products or your services.
They showed up and signed up because you sweetened the deal.
You’ll see when you try to close the sale. They’re not interested in you. They were only interested in the sweetener you used to attract them.
Building a following is about quality, not quantity.
Entice people to show up and sign up with offerings directly related to what you sell.
Attract people who really want you for who you are and what you offer.
You may have fewer people in the room or on your list. But they’ll be there for YOU, not for the strippers.
Thanks for reading.
Tom
MarketVolt
p.s. Want some more ideas about how to build your following without resorting to random enticements like strippers and pop stars? Here’s a free report that might interest you: “9 Proven List-Building Techniques.”