The Cheapest Kind of Marketing

“The cheapest thing you can give somebody is a smile.”

If I heard it once, I heard it thousand times growing up.

In the fewest of words, my dad would remind us of our potential, make us laugh, and give us a different outlook on our day. I’m not sure he’s ever quite understood what a superpower that is.

But I do. And today, I think you should too.

I spent an agonizing amount of time in four airport terminals this week. But for as bad as that sounds, I was reminded of an important lesson my dad taught me years ago.

Fast food, busy bathrooms, and packed planes aren’t common places for inspiration.

But that’s exactly where I found it.

I watched Dre the Janitor demonstrate more joy in his work than any other professional I worked with all week.

I watched Kayla the chicken checker-outer shine a light on every crabby customer that checked through her cash register.

And I watched Tina the TSA agent bless hundreds of tired travelers over and over with the same enthusiastic “Good morning!” without losing steam.

Their smiles were genuine. Their demeanor was grateful. And their mission was unquestionable:

While everyone else around them was working their shift, they were shifting their work.

Dre, Kayla, and Tina didn’t earn a dime more by being awesome in those moments.

But I’ll bet you can.

Because when people feel good:

They remember you.
They like you.
They trust you.
They choose you.
Those are the best results you could ever hope for in marketing.

The crazy part is that it won’t cost you anything.

Questions:

Are things a little harder than they were this time last year?

Are you feeling the grind?

Would you like to do something about it?

Smile, my friend.

And help your people smile.

Good things are right around the corner.

Cheers,

BW