I couldn’t help myself.
I went on YouTube again and went on a nostalgic journey. This time I watched Spongebob Squarepants, one of my most favorite cartoon shows growing up. And the episode I watched was
“Chocolate With Nuts.”
One of best episodes, in my opinion. And I’m not just saying that because it’s one of my favorites. It also has some great business lessons hidden throughout the episode.
The video is here, but I’ll timestamp the most interesting moments in this episode if you don’t have time to watch it all the way through.
1:46 – When Spongebob asks Squidward what entrepreneurs sell, he replies, “…Things people want to buy.” It’s all about looking at your market and providing a product or service for a problem they desperately want to solve.
2:47 to 3:28 – The con salesfish, we’ll call him Sleaze from now on, taps into Spongebob and Patrick’s desire to become great salesman by selling candy bar carrying bags to them. Using brief descriptive language and showing no neediness, he was able to get them to want to buy the bags.
5:04 – Spongebob said the reason why he bought the bags from Sleaze is because he made him and Patrick feel special, which makes a great customer experience lesson. Show your customers you truly care for them and make them feel special.
5:20 – Patrick came on too strong to a potential customer by saying, “I love you” right away. This is a great example showing why you should never come on too strong with a stranger. In other words, never try to sell to someone you just met.
5:51 – Don’t get distracted, or don’t give in to Shiny Object Syndrome.
6:50 – Stretch the truth. Not to the degree where you lie, but make your products sound exciting. That’s where the power of bullet points come in.
7:45 to 8:25 – Spongebob and Patrick sold chocolate to many different people by addressing their needs and desires. Although their claims were obvious lies.
8:50 – Sleaze used the power of emotion to sell chocolate bars to Spongebob and Patrick. People buy with emotion, justified by logic.
Who knew a children’s show can teach you so much about marketing. But that’s the end of today’s email.
And if you’re ready for some help with your email marketing, get in touch with me using the link below. Otherwise, enjoy your day.