My neighbor Stan just texted me to ask if we are staying warm. His last-word sign-off? ‘Eat more eggs.’ It always is. The truth is, he may be better at selling eggs than some agencies are at selling anything.

Tales from Maple Grove Rd

A couple of years ago, we moved onto 43 acres in Northern Michigan, into a new house that we are super blessed to have built. What is interesting is that even though our nearest neighbors are absolutely hundreds of feet away, in the country, it feels like we are more likely to interact than when we lived 50 feet away from the nearest in the Suburbs. For some, that may seem a bit taxing, but overall, it is charming and helpful. 

Now, you don’t get to pick your neighbors, no matter where you live. Enter Stan. 

Stan is the neighbor we see the most. He is quirky, but super-knowledgable. He has a grin that says he might be up to no good, but usually the no good is just giving you a hard time and then doing something insanely helpful you didn’t even ask for. 

Some quick facts about Stan: 

• He is a master angler and has caught some of the biggest fish in Northern MI (and has the patches to prove it).
• He holds the record for foraging the most morel mushrooms from his youth and was featured in the newspaper for it.
• With his wife, he has bred Rottweiler puppies, chickens, peacocks, and lord knows what else, often for sale.
• He may show up one day in a golf cart, the next day on an ATV, later that day in a truck, tomorrow morning in a Razor (which you may never see again), or on a motorcycle. 
• When he sings the JD Wentworth commercial jingle, three generations of his dogs start howling at the top of their lungs 
• He recently ran for township council. 
• He sells the eggs his chickens produce 

Stan, Egg Salesman

Stan sells eggs from his numerous chickens (and with egg prices the way they have been, it is a savings). It is not unusual for him to end a conversation with: “Eat more eggs”. He might be texting us about anything else, but the last line will invariably be “eat more eggs”. In rare cases, he will just tell you, “You aren’t eating enough eggs.” 

Not only that, but he also extols the virtue of eggs: “There is nothing like farm fresh eggs,” or “Eggs will help you become strong.”

What is funny about this is how well it works, even when you know what to expect. 

We find ourselves turning to him for eggs before we buy them at the store. When I am hunting for something quick to eat, even at lunchtime, I think, “Maybe I should fry an egg and throw it on some avocado.” The not-so-subtle reminders actually lead us to eat more eggs, need more eggs, and turn to Stan to buy them. Best of all, he delivers. You hear the vehicle du jour show up, honk, and you know the eggs have arrived. No DoorDash fees required, he will drop by with as many as we want if we just text him we are running low (or reply to his “Need more eggs?” texts).

I don’t think Stan has ever attended a marketing class or seminar, but he sure knows some of the principles.

Stan’s Marketing Playbook

• Repetition can be a useful tool.
• Work your pitch into a natural conversation.
• Make delivery as painless as possible.

Conversational Pitch

When you pitch your product or service, make it organic and conversational. After all, no one likes a pre-packaged speech that feels rigid and cold. Stan is a natural at this in all realms. If he wants an action to happen, he will let you know why, when, and how in conversation. Your pitch doesn’t have to feel like an example from a sales book. Keep it friendly, build rapport, and work the value you provide into the conversation.

Painless Delivery

No matter what you are selling, the delivery process should be as pain-free as possible. Reduce friction. Make the payment process easy. Come to the client, whether digitally or physically. It is the most basic of basics, but if you can streamline how you deliver your product or service, it has a real chance of becoming a competitive advantage. 

Repetition is Useful

Repetition is why I am really talking about Stan – he is a master at subtle (and not-so-subtle) reminders. The truth is, people need reminders at multiple levels. Sometimes we just need to remember that something exists: “Oh, yeah, Stan has eggs; that tutoring company offers academic prep in addition to SAT/ACT; we built your website, but we also can create your marketing strategy.” 

The voice we have to silence is the one that says, “This feels like I am annoying my audience/customers”. Just like confident sales or charging value-based prices, the shift comes when you realize you are helping. Repeating your offer isn’t spam, necessarily – this email blast might just be the one that reaches the person who needs what you are offering. (or maybe they realize they are on their last egg.)

For Real Though, Don’t Spam

One short aside, don’t cross the line into spamming. You may be thinking I am being duplicitous here, but you have to have a real sense of when you are harassing rather than helping. I encourage you to realize that the line is probably a little farther out than your initial instinct suggests. 

So take a page from Stan’s playbook: remind people regularly, keep it conversational, and make it easy. Just maybe don’t make them eat more eggs.