Fishing Off the Pier
Written by Kimberly Schick-Puddicombe   
Friday, 27 February 2009
Word Count: 704

You might be asking, "What does fishing have to do with my business?"

Well, while we were walking down the pier while visiting Rye, Australia, I had a chance encounter with a fisherman that brought an idea to my mind that I thought everyone could ponder.
Rye Pier on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia has always been a focal point of this quaint, summer resort town, but it was originally built in 1898 and used to help transport lime to Melbourne via steam ships. Now, it's used for fishing, promenading and viewing the ocean horizon. They say you can even see dolphins playing alongside the pier...which was our viewing mission.

While we were strolling with the kids, we encountered 8 boys jumping off the pier, a resting seal, a cormorant bird cleaning his feathers and about 12-15 fisherman lining up several rods. As we walked by each of them I noticed they where asking each other what kind of rods, bait and hooks the other was using, trying to make sure they weren’t being out fished by their neighboring fisherman. Some looked like they were outfitted for a tournament, one woman had a rod she called her “Long Lady” and she was very serious about people getting in her “pier or fishing zone.”

At the very end of the narrow 500-600M pier we met a “grandpa like” man that was sitting on his five gallon pail with one rod in his hand. After chatting to him for a while he gleefully showed our kids his catches, while watching over his shoulders to make sure the other fishermen weren’t watching. I asked him what his secret hook or bait was to catching those beauties. He just smiled and stuck his weathered hand into his pail and brought out a handful of small, finely chopped up bait and threw it out close to his very plain looking fishing hook. He said, "I offer the fish a bit of good eats and I am sure to get a bite." As I smiled, it struck me on the head about what my business coach has taught me about offering customers a sample or hors d’oeuvres of my services to get them to “have a feed” as the old man suggested and then one is sure to find it tasty enough to want a bit more.

Again you might be asking what does this have to do with your business.

  • What are you throwing out to customers so that they can try you out?
  • Do you make people buy or jump hoops before they get to taste your services or products?
  • Do you have anything you can offer as a small sample, a teaser, a bit of your services or expertise that helps them solves a problem?
  • Do you write articles, E-zines, classes, blogs or places for them to see or experience you?
I Triple Dog Dare you to find a way to let them test drive you, the key here is it must be track-able and you need to watch what customers are interested in trying or sampling.

And how do you tell them or offer your “bait?” That also has a lot to do with your research and trials.

If an ice-cream place didn’t have "sample spoons", would you buy a $4 Ice Cream that you had never tried before nor would you go with your old favorite?

Why do you think the grocery stores have product sampling on busy shopping days?

So when you come up with your sample, which I triple Dog dare you to do, email me the offer and I will share your offer with our website eZine subscribers. I am here to help those who are part of our Family Friendly Alliance...so get it to me right away.

So GET FISHING!

Kimberly Schick-Puddicombe is the Founder and Publisher of Moms, Dads and Kids. & The Little Black Book for busy families™. Her transition from full time marketer with a demanding career to full time mom with 2 fabulously active kids had her on a constant search for things to keep them occupied so she launched Alberta fun finder website http://www.momsdadsandkids.com