Lessons From A Street Hawker

Marketing Shares And Mushroom: Lessons From The Street Hawker

If you have ever had the privilege of experiencing people hawk in traffic flash points like I do in Nigeria where I am from, what you find common is the struggle narratives that describe the state of an economy and a people.?

But beyond the symposiums, there are some hidden golden business lessons these guys deliver that many do not really see. These lessons are so tone down and yet so powerful that if anyone picks them up, wielding them as weapons of market engagements, they will surely erupt a volcanic traffic of customer patronage, sales, and will almost never go out of business.

I have taken the time and energy to connect the lines between these seemingly scattered lessons and so far, I found 5 powerful marketing lessons our street hawkers have for us.

But before I dive deep into this special, I must leave this tiny piece of warning with you; if you apply these principles to your business, you will experience inflow like never before. Yes! you will. Your business revenue will spike and the streams of cashflow will burst open. Therefore you are advised to get your mind and hands ready for the influx experience. But if this- the volcanic burst in sales- is exactly what you are looking for then, take up your writing materials cause best believe, you are about to take down some notes.

Enough said, what are these golden lessons to learn from the street hawkers?

1. Sell Needs, Give Wants As Bonus.

You see, there is a difference between having something of value and having something of value that people need. A street hawker is more focused on the latter.?They know exactly what the people traveling in their cars need per time and they provide just that. It just doesn't end there, they go further to provide their wants as bonuses.?

After rolling down kilometers under crazy weather turns and many stressful encounters on the road, It's easier for passengers stuck in traffic to get hungry and thirsty, therefore, water is often needed, but most want cold water so the hawker with the chilled water takes their money!

Everyone needs food to survive but our food choices are based on what we want per time. We all need to bathe, but some people feel super excited using a soap that makes their body experience that cool sensation under water. Hence, the desire to buy a menthol laced soap.

With this approach, hawkers don't even have to struggle to sell. The traffic brings ideal customers and they market their products consistently while adding your desires as extra.

In your business, sell what people need, find out their extra wants, offer it to them as bonuses and you will never run out of business.

2. Put more energy on bigger channels-?

Comparatively, if you were to place cars and buses side by side, you will agree with me that buses often carry more people. Hence, the chances of those in buses buying is quite higher compared to cars, even though cars also serve as a channel for sales. As one who sells products or offers services, you must learn to leverage on channels-platforms- with the highest prospects. The higher your reach the higher your conversion rate.?

Questions to guide you:

-What channels carry my most prospects?

-How can I get to them?

-What strategies can I adopt to get them to buy my offers?

If you would sit down, put in the time and energy to intelligently research and answer these questions, then your revenue generation challenge is about 70% solved.

Your prospects are not in caves, neither are they hanging somewhere in the skies, they are humans, in flesh, going from one spot to another, meeting people and spending ample time in certain places. You are the private investigator. Your job is to figure out who they are, what you have that they are looking for, where and with whom they spend their time and beautifully craft them offers they cannot refuse.

3. Stay where the traffic is-

You will almost never find hawkers struggling and chasing after cars, except they either want to take their payment or give a change. Outside that, hawkers will always converge at points where the traffic is highest. At this point, they know that conversion is highest with increased vehicles. If you could just position yourself at those terminal points where you figure conversion to be highest, you wouldn't have to struggle with multiple marketing. The platforms leveraged and the simple marketing strategies brings your prospects to you like sea water in shores.

4. Show up daily-

Have you ever caught yourself humming the lyrics of a song-even a song you detested on first hearing-and oh dear it dawned on you. Oh this song has been one every speaker of every radio of cars you've bordered in the last few weeks. It sank into your subconscious mind and took a seat there.

Hawkers know and apply this psychological rule. They understand that it is quite impossible to make money if they do not show up. Hence, they show up and do it consistently. They put those products in your face until you begin to have a second thought on your buying decision.

As a business owner whose responsibility is to make money, your job is to make sure you show up consistently. There is a concept in marketing called the buyer's journey. A buyer journey simply means all the milestones you have to take prospects through before they make buying decisions. And one of the principles that makes that possible is the consistency principle. It's easy to forget about anything seen only once but when it keeps appearing and showing up in your face then it's very difficult to discard.

Summary?

Street Hawkers and successful businesses have several things in common. They sell values the people need, cut marketing costs by focusing on channels bringing in the most traffic. They do all they can to dominate by increasing market share, and focus on being in the face of their customers daily.

I would like to hear your feedback. Which would you consider the most resonating lesson you think you'd love to apply moving forward?

Share with me in the comment section.