I was lounging in our backyard pool this past weekend when my six year-old son caught sight of the bottoms of my feet. “Mommy,  your feet need the Pedi-Egg,” he said. “You can get it at Walgreen’s. You better go today!”

Besides being shocked and embarrassed, I was surprised and rather impressed that my son recalled not only the name of the product, but what it was for and where to buy it. Why a six year-old would pay attention to a Pedi-Egg ad in the first place, I will never know, but that weekend, I went to Walgreen’s and purchased myself a Pedi-Egg. And I am happy to report that my feet are now baby-bottom smooth.

So what did this experience teach me as someone in the marketing profession for over 15 years? I’m now sold on the fact that while I may tune out a TV ad that is truly directed at me, the brand is still reaching me through the power of my children. It’s a bit scary.

And I am not alone. Friends of ours lamented how their five year-old son is obsessed with TV ads promoting Oxi-Clean. My friend Lisa said she was complaining about not being able to get the soap scum  off her shower door. Her son came in the room and said, “Mommy, that won’t work. You need the power of Oxi-Clean to get that soap scum off.” You can guess the rest. Lisa went to the store (I bet it was Walgreen’s) and bought  one of the many products containing some fun-to-say Oxi-Clean ingredient to clean her shower. And it worked. She was bombarded by TV ads for Oxi-Clean all the time, but it took her five year-old son to get her to actually go out and buy it.

The moral of the story is to never underestimate the TV advertising messages your children are not only exposed to, but truly processing and proselytizing. You never know when a timely pitch from your brand-loyal bambino will send you straight to the “AS SEEN ON TV!” aisle of your local Walgreen’s.

Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
by Harvey Mackay

A. René Hinz rates it 3 out of 5

Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive is a straightforward, no nonsense approach to how to succeed in business. The book abounds with advice and case studies, motivating the reader to excel in the business world.

For those who may not be familiar with the author, one only needs to know this: Harvey Mackay is a millionaire and did not waste time waiting for opportunities to seek him out. He is the CEO of Mackay Envelope Corporation, a company he bought for a mere $250,000 that is now valued at over $35 million. Running an envelope company is only a small portion of what this successful man has accomplished in his business and personal life.

The book targets the entrepreneur and primarily focuses on how to get ahead in business and stay one step ahead of the competition. While the advice and “rules” for success cited in the book were not rocket science, they were presented in case study form and included stories of success and defeat in the real business world. While the book did offer some insights in the “do’s and don’ts” of the business world, it failed to actually tell the reader just exactly “how” to achieve success in closing business deals. However, three areas of the book were worth the reading: customer relations, selling tips, and creativity.

Mackay’s section on customer relations really hit home with his philosophy that clients are people, too. While this conclusion may seem strangely obvious, it can be easy to forget when business relationships are strained. One of my favorite quotes from the author is “Most business problems can be solved if you can teach yourself to look beyond the dollar sign. Business revolves around human beings.”

The section on salesmanship and selling tips focused primarily on the basic rules of supply and demand. Several points resonated with me on this topic, including the illusion of demand. Mackay states, “Maintain the illusion of demand regardless of supply.”

Our sense of the worth of an object is not derived from its intrinsic value but from the demand that has been created for that object.” Mackay also strongly encourages the philosophy that it is best to make the customer think that they came up with the idea to buy or sell your product. Mackay points out that “Marketing is not the art of selling. It is the art of creating conditions by which the buyer convinces himself.”

Creativity was actually a constant theme throughout this book. Mackay feels strongly that to be successful in any business, you must be able to think creatively, whether in a sales presentation, marketing campaign, or with customer relationship issues. Mackay is quick to point out that “Efficiency achieved at the expense of creativity is counterproductive” and offers this warning—“Don’t equate activity with efficiency.” He also suggests an open work environment, where ideas can come from any department.

While I found this book helpful in reinforcing some basic customer service and Business 101 rules, I don’t plan on quitting my day job to start my own business just yet.