As of writing, this post. I am 38 weeks pregnant with my second child, my due date is 31 March. It was not until last week before it dawned on me, that being pregnant is a great way to market your business.
No, I’m not talking about wearing your business name on your belly but that’s a method if you want to try it out 🙂
I won’t be sharing the actual marketing details today but I will be giving you the background to how it all came about. Don’t you just love how life can show you wonderful new opportunities if you are willing to open your eyes, open your mind and absorb?
Being pregnant just gets strangers talking
When I was pregnant with my first child, I was again working for myself but this time in a shop. So most of my time I was behind a counter and I the luxury of having people look after the shop when I needed to stay at home. As this was my 1st pregnancy, you ladies will know that you are so careful and unsure. This is how I was, and as I did not have my wonderful mother around as support or guidance, I was even more cautious.
Okay, my son was born a nice healthy 9 lbs 7 oz, yes, that’s correct, ladies & gents, 9 lbs. 7 oz.
Now I know either your mouth has dropped open, a with OMG or you are saying, poor girl, she must have been all over those drugs during delivery.
On the contrary, I can thankfully say, I felt no pain whatsoever, lucky me right 🙂
At present, my baby is nearly 9 lbs 7 oz. and I’m at 38 weeks pregnant 🙂 Ok your mouth has dropped open again 🙂
As this is my second pregnancy, I am a lot stronger in my self, more aware of my capabilities and inner self. This time I am very much, more out there and I am not unsure or cautious with this pregnancy. As you can imagine my belly is massive and the two coats I can wear simple outline the size of my belly nicely 🙂 As I am out and about shopping, I got, will still get the following conversation from complete strangers. I have come to call these outbursts baby conversation starters.
And these outbursts of conversations go something like this:
Shop Cashier – You still pregnant
Me – Yes [smiling]
Shop Cashier – When are you due?.
Me – End of March [smiling]
Shop Cashier – Do you know what you’re having?
Me – No.[smiling]
Shop Cashier – A surprise that will be nice.
Me – I no [smiling]
At times this baby conversation starter would get the customer behind or in front of me involved too. Total strangers engaging in a baby conversation, all because of my belly, which I cannot hide. Any other time nobody wants to talk to me, nobody wants to start a conversation. Now this conversation, which usually goes along the same lines as one mentioned above, only really happens in shops, where am being served or standing in the queue waiting to be served. I know that these strangers who don’t normally want to start a conversation are merely interested in the future plans of me giving birth, while also being very politely.
Now let’s flip the script
The idea of starting conversations with strangers could help with your business marketing. If you flip this concept you can use conversation starter, any time anywhere, any place with anyone. As long as you start the conversation in a practical nice way. the stranger who you talk to about your business will not feel intimidated or hassled. Always talk with a smile and the person will automatically smile back.
So that’s the marketing idea, which I will expand on in my next post.
The reason why am sharing with you about my life behind JWGInternational is that overtime of writing and connecting with you is that my site is growing and it’s because of you. If you did not come and read my posts, connect with me via email or social media then I would be talking to myself and helping no one. The feedback I get is very humbling, getting statements like:
-I’m an inspiration,
-How I motivate you and
-That the information I share is helping you and your business either take that first important step to start a business or to help you build your business & help it grow is wonderful to hear.
As I have a new arrival, I will be taking a back seat from my JWGInternational HQ, however, you won’t actually see the disruption because of my crazy organization skills, which will allow my site to run smoothly.
A while ago I wrote a post about being ill and still running your business, It’s along those lines but my posts are not waiting in draft mode. This time they are in schedule mode, like my tweets for those posts and my subscriber messages for those posts too. I will still be popping in on Twitter to update my community and my subscribers will, of course, be in the know 1st.
I love simplifying things to its basic form allow me to manage most things in business and in life easier. This is something I really want to get across to you, because the more you can simplify and pre-organize your blog posts, business tasks, tweets etc, the more time you can spend on networking, creating products, enjoying your sales and dare I say it socializing with friends an family.
2 Comments. Leave new
I like your philosophy here, you can get so from a simple conversation can’t you? I recently left a busy corporate life to set up my own business an online interiors boutique, which is really exciting but I miss those frequent conversations at the coffee machine that usually help you to make another connection and get things done better and quicker. Now I’m adjusting to doing that virtually and looking for ways to get out there and speak face to face to people about what we do – it’s harder but definitely worth it when it happens!! 🙂
Hi Ya Ali,
It is hard having those conversations when you are your own boss, I too enjoyed talking to my customers when I owned my own shop. Meeting different people everyday made a big difference. Then when you take that big step to start working from home that social network you probably took for granted becomes something you truly miss. Luckily we have Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, comments here 🙂 and other virtual places that try and get us that personal interaction we still crave. But having that face to face or group meet up is hard to beat, so i totally understand where you coming from.
However I would like to say thanks to you stepping out on your own I am lucky enough to meet you here in my creative place. We have connected via twitter so that’s cool, stay in touch and we can have a coffee break over at twitter 🙂
Blessings Janet