MSP Marketing Lessons Learned from Dr. Seuss

If you were ever a child anywhere in the world, a human being really, then you have already read the most important book on MSP Marketing ever written. That book is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

Think about it, through persistence and a great deal of patience Sam-I-am was able to get his friend to try something he had never had before and was certainly convinced he would not like – Green Eggs and Ham.

However, this was not accomplished until Sam-I-Am changed his strategy a bit, and that’s how MSP Marketing works sometimes.

You see, Sam-I-am believed he could get his friend to like something he had never tried before and continued to ask him whether he liked Green Eggs and Ham as he offered him a big ole’ plate of it.

I would not like them
here or there.
I would not like them
anywhere.
I do not like
green eggs and ham.
I do not like them,
Sam-I-am

The problem here, of course, is the fact that Sam-I-am was asking the wrong question. How can someone possibly like something they had never tried before, but constantly asking the same question over – even after getting the same negative response over and over again, will get your business nowhere.

It wasn’t until the message shifted from “would you like them…” to “Try them! Try them!” that the friends behavior shifted and he became more receptive to trying Green Eggs and Ham. The caveat here is that the friend expected to be left alone once he finally tried Green Eggs and Ham. It wasn’t until he tried them that he realized he did in fact like Green Eggs and Ham.

Sam!
If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.

Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat!
And I would eat them with a goat…
And I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so goodm so goodm you see!

Much like in business, if you want prospects to try your offerings then you must ask the right question or questions.

The goal is to get someone to try what you have to offer so they can judge for themselves whether they like what you have to offer them or not. The persistence of Sam-I-am pays off in the end and let’s face it: if everyone had that level of persistence then pitching to customer’s and closing deals wouldn’t be such a head-scratcher – assuming you’re asking the right questions and positioning your company just right.

If you want help with your MSP Marketing then read a Dr. Seuss book, as you will learn it’s all in how you present yourself and your offerings to others without coming across as heavy-handed or unwilling to refine your strategies when necessary.