Elsa, Olaf, and how to double your sales

On a hot summer day in Búzios, near Rio de Janeiro, while sipping a caipirinha on the beach, I observed for a few hours this woman dressed up as Elsa from Frozen accompanied by Olaf go up an down the one mile stretch of Praia da Ferradura selling ice cream.

When I first spotted them in the morning, I smiled. I admired their creativity and stamina for wearing a heavy costume under the sweltering sun. But as the day went by I started to think about her business model, and realized that there were some sales lessons in this scene.

Focus on your audience

Selling ice cream on the beach is what I would categorize as a complex sale because there are multiple stakeholders who have different interests in the outcome.?

As I observed a family next to me, I realized that the main stakeholder was a child who wanted a treat and was attracted to Elsa and Olaf. However, the decision-maker (the mother) and the financial sponsor (the godmother) also needed to be engaged.

Here is how the process went:

• "Mom, look! Elsa! Can I have an ice cream?" (Engage with the customer with a good marketing message)
• "Why don't you eat fruit instead?" (First objection by the decision-maker)
• "Do you want to take a picture with me and Olaf?" (Seller offers additional benefit)
• "Go, mom, I will take the picture of the two of you with Elsa!" (Financial sponsor sees additional benefit)
• "But then I will have to buy ice cream." (First buying sign)
• "Don't worry, I will pay, it's a present for my goddaughter." (Elimination of financial barrier, identification of additional benefit)
• "What flavors do the three of you want?" (Upselling)
• "Don't forget to post the picture on Instagram and to tag us." (Extending the experience, using the client as a reference, promoting the brand)

In the afternoon I approached Beatriz (that's Elsa's real name) to learn more about her experience.

Beatriz told me that she was already the top ice cream seller on this beach because she was the only woman and people would prefer to buy from her. When asked why that was the case, she mentioned commiseration and trust. Then she had the idea to dress up as Elsa and her sales doubled! Just like that!

Spiderman arrives

Last season, Elsa faced her first serious competition: Spiderman!

Now her audience was split! Boys wanted pictures with Spiderman while girls still preferred Elsa.

Beatriz felt the hit on her bottom line and after a short period she decided to hire a wingman, Paulo (Olaf), and her sales not only recovered but improved beyond where she was before.?She also teamed up with Captain America on her Instagram account.

Lessons Learned

What sales lessons can we derive from this little tropical fairy tale? Here are some:

• Know and focus on your audience
• Don't be afraid to look silly
• Address the needs of all your stakeholders
• Outsmart your competition with creativity
• Don't be afraid to hire to grow your business

P.S. You can follow Beatriz on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/frozenecapitao/