What's The BIG Idea?

“When people are playing along at home, you know you’ve got a winner.” – Merv Griffin

You may or may not be familiar with Merv Griffin’s name. But, you likely are familiar with two of the shows he created. They are a couple of the most popular game shows of all time:

Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!

The ideas I am featuring this week are drawn from contestants who competed on the beta version of a TV Show that is based on the creative ideas game I invented, What’s The BIG Idea?

I am featuring three great ideas our contestants came up with in the recording of the show. In presenting them here, I have mixed in some of my own additions that came after the fact or that were part of the original recording, but were not included in the final show cut.

You can watch full episodes of the What’s The BIG Idea? show at www.WhatsTheBIGIdeaShow.com

Idea Number One : From Lori Knudsen

Combining the words Refrigerator and Fireman, Lori came up with an idea for a line of hot sauces featuring hot firefighters. The ones featured would be real firefighters. Half would be men, half women. A picture of the featured firefighter and an associated story are included on the packaging.

On a regular basis, packaging featuring a new pair of firefighters is available. Having new faces all the time combined with the stories continually refreshes public awareness of the product. It also gives people a renewed reason to talk about the product.

Once the hot sauces gain traction in the marketplace, additional products would be launched; barbeque sauces, seasonings and salad dressings.

Perhaps the best part is a portion of the profits from all sales would be donated to charitable causes.

Idea Number Two: From Luis Farias

Using the words Branch and Glasses, Luis came up with the idea of creating a membership-based optometry practice - with a twist in setting. As opposed to a boring office, the place where patrons shop for glasses is also a social club of sorts. It’s designed as a relaxed environment where folks can sit and chat with one another, order a cocktail and consume appetizers.

One of the beautiful things about this concept is that the folks going to this ‘club’ have an immediate commonality. They all wear glasses. This makes it much easier to break the ice and strike up a conversation with others that are there which greatly enhances the experience.

While you may be skeptical that these two things could work together, remember there was a time when gas stations were gas stations and convenience stores were convenience stores. Now, you would be shocked if you saw one without the other.

Right?

Idea Number Three: From Roxana Radulescu

In playing the game, one type of challenge contestants face is having a Market category assigned to them that their idea must be for. Travel, was the category Roxana had and, from the list of words she had to work with, she chose Pollution and Insurance.

The concept is that when you go on vacation, you are offered the option of choosing to hike, bike or take a Segway in order to reduce the amount of pollution you are emitting. When you choose these environmentally friendly options, you are given credits which you can use to reduce your cost or apply toward other amenities while staying at a participating hotel or resort.

For those properties who wish to position themselves as being environmentally responsible, this would be a fine way to do so. Employing this strategy would also differentiate them from competing properties in a jam-packed marketplace. This would make them perceived by consumers as a non-commodity and, therefore, competing on price becomes far less necessary.

As walking or biking are also healthier options, there would be an opportunity to solicit sponsorship from or do co-marketing with, healthy food companies. Having these in place would ensure that offering the savings or rewards would not hinder a healthy bottom line for the resort or hotel chain.?

Want to play along at home? What idea for a product, service or business can you come up with combining the words, Fireman and Refrigerator?

What about Branch and Glasses?

Or, Pollution and Insurance?

Want Your Team to Be More Creative?

We use What’s The BIG Idea? in multiple iterations in our Creative Thinking Training FUNshops. It will help your organization to unleash their creative juices and innovate more easily.

Reach out to me to discuss having one of our Certified Facilitators use What’s The BIG Idea? to help you find bigger profitability.?

Expert Tip

This week's expert tip about getting more referrals is from?Julie Nester, Home Sales Account Executive for Deako Lighting

Think of Yourself as the Customer

For me success in my career always comes back to this quote that was ingrained into my personal brand from my first day of work at MBNA America in 1999.?It seems so simple, so basic and yet when I truly practice this, success always comes my way.

After 8 years in a Customer Satisfaction environment, I transitioned into a sales career and found something that I was very passionate about.?I could take my focus and obsession with the Customer and enable them to buy what they needed. By focusing on the Customer, I found that my sales and funnel increased dramatically.?

Having a sales call plan that is designed to learn about the Customer will give you everything you need to close more sales and get referrals for future sales. Referrals are KEY for building your sales funnel but something that is forgotten about often.?It makes sense that people skip this step; you worked hard and closed the sale so why push it and ask for more?

Don’t think about it as pushing it, or asking for too much. By thinking of yourself as the Customer throughout the sales process you will have built value to close that sale and earned the right to ask for referrals.?When asking for referrals be sure to focus on the Customer and what you learned about their needs.?Ask if they have any family or friends who have the same needs so that you can reach out to them to help like you helped them.?

Here is an example of how I am currently asking my Customers for referrals. This is not a script because I am always changing and adapting to the flow of the conversation.?

“Thank you for working with me to upgrade your home to a Smart Deako Home.?You said that the 2 most important reasons you needed to upgrade to smart switches was for safety and energy control. When you run into neighbors or family members that have these same concerns would you refer them to me??I am going to send you an email for you to forward to your neighbors that you think could use my assistance upgrading their home to a Deako Smart Home.?When they decide to upgrade their home like you did with me, I would send you a smart plug to thank you for the referral!”

What do you like about this? What could I change? The most important thing is that I asked and every time I do, they are receptive to referring others to me for my help!

People buy from people they like and people like to feel heard.?By thinking of yourself as the?Customer, you will be the person people like to buy from and tell their friends about!?

Want to be considered to contribute an Expert Tip to a future edition??PM me.

Puzzle and Trivia

To add some fun to our reader's lives, the?Freaking Brilliant Ideas Newsletter?each week features a fun Puzzle and Trivia sheet.

To view or download a pdf version of this week's Puzzle and Trivia sheet, click on the image or go?here.

Can't solve the puzzle? Find the solution and the trivia question answer?here.

DID YOU KNOW you can now download a FREE pdf version of my landmark book, Discovering Your Greatness? Grab your copy?here.

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See you next week?

About Bob Sager

The founder of?SpearPoint Solutions, Bob’s professional background includes over three decades of experience in sales, leadership and training. Combined with creative thinking, he uses that experience to develop business strategies that help organizations increase sales and margins. Additionally, Bob facilitates training on methods of thinking more creatively that organizations can practically apply to all aspects of their business so they can thrive in the modern?economy.?

Among other accomplishments, Bob is the?inventor?of the creative thinking game,?What's the BIG Idea?? and?author of the books,?Discovering Your Greatness?and?101 Freaking Brilliant Business Ideas.?He is also the creator of a budget friendly way to access his ideas, the?Freaking Brilliant Ideas Bank?and the NEW?Lite Version of the Freaking Brilliant Ideas Bank.