Strangers, Friends, Customers & Salespeople?
- Written by Ville Keksijä Keränen
- Published in Archive, English
- Permalink
Something that’s been in my head recently is the idea from
Seth Godin. Or let me phrase it here as three questions: How to turn strangers into friends? How to turn friends into customers? How to turn customers into salespeople?
After reading this idea from Seth’s book Small is the new Big I realized that I had become all of a sudden into a salesman for a friend. Here in Jyväskylä there’s a man who organizes parties. Or not just ordinary parties but clubs with music that is not normally played in the nightclubs we’ve got here. Such as Funk, Soul and Drum’n’bass. And I happen to like such a music a lot. I didn’t know him until half a year ago when my former flatmate Bram met him first. Then Bram introduced me to him. Now he’s my friend. And I promote his events to my friends. By the way, the clubs are named sharply: Wake-Up (not organized anymore) and Remedy.
Let’s analyze this phenomenon a little bit. Why do I promote his events? First of all because I would go to them myself. I trust his skills on making good events. Also, it’s rare to hear real good more marginal kinds of music in here. I want other people also to enjoy Drum’n’bass. Also, I know that the event is better for me as well if I know people who are there. I like to dance with my friends. I think we can generalize this into making meaning. When you feel that something is meaningful in a way or another you will promote.
Another aspect I wanted to elaborate about Seth’s theory is the idea of turning friends into customers. This may sound harsh to many. It used to me as well. Because I used to have a mental model that business exists in order to make money for it’s owners and only for that. But how about social business? Or team company where you actually make business with your friends? The idea is to redefine what making business means. I like to know people I do business with. I like them to be my friends. And then there’s a change that these friends become also my salespeople. Is it ok? I think it’s ok as long as business is based on something else than money. If it is transparent and aims on creating benefit for all. Our business is not a zero sum game. Story by Ville.
Ps. The next Remedy is on the Friday 3rd of April in Ilokivi, Jyväskylä
Ps2. Photos courtesy of Joonas Nissinen
