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7 Lessons Every Marketer Should Learn From A Beggar

Last Updated on October 8, 2017 By Kevine Otieno 46 Comments

lessons every marketer should learn

Beggars.

They occupy the lowest pedestals of life. The unworthy members of the society that many would love to forget about.

Their plights go unheeded, pleas unheard, and prayers unanswered – most of the time. You would be easily convinced that they have nothing to offer of themselves.

Yet, beggars have so much to offer. Some even end up being top marketers. It is quite an irony that marketers can learn so much from them.

Let me digress a little:

Diamonds are rough and ugly before polishing. Though they’re unsightly, this does not reduce their inherent value. Wait until they are polished when you begin to appreciate them.

Beggars, in a similar fashion, may appear dirty and unkempt. However, they still have an inherent value that will shine when the smothering factors are set aside.

This article explores seven traits of beggars that continually shine bright like a polished diamond. These priceless lessons are for every marketer who is keen on taking his / her business successful.

Let’s shoot away…

lessons every marketer should learn from a beggar

1. Beggars are resilient and persistent

I am yet to see a single beggar who goes on vacation. In fact, they do not even take a sick leave.

Very early in the morning when the rest of the town is still asleep, a beggar has already taken his position at the street intersection. No matter how early you rise in the morning to attend to your business, a beggar will almost always be out in the streets long before your arrival.

Beggars know that they have to be resilient to realize success. They keep working on their next project, choosing to focus on future opportunities rather than dwelling on their past failures.

Beggars know what they want and they go for it. If you have ever encountered a beggar, then you will agree with me that the stare of a beggar can be as scary as hell.

A beggar will try by all means to make an eye contact with you. That stare makes you imagine that he is probably seeing your soul. You get uncomfortable and you tip him to get out of the situation.

I am not saying that you should make your clients uncomfortable when you try to sell to them. Try to get your client’s full attention. That’s what I mean.

When you have her attention, make her understand that she needs the service you are trying to sell to her. Make it about her, about the benefits she will derive from the service. When you make it apparent that she is the one benefiting from the service, she will definitely open her purse.

Marketers need to inculcate the value of timeliness in executing their tasks. You should always be on the lookout for new prospects who will grow your business in the days to come.

2. Beggars know how to make their requests easy to accept

I have encountered this beggar several times whenever I go to town.

When he approaches you, he ensures that he has your attention by making an eye contact. He then makes a fist to show five and asks, “Would you kindly help me with five shillings? Just five!”

He is sure that it is highly unlikely for you to lack the five shillings that he needs.

It would not be surprising to find out that he gets more money than many working people do by close of business. He has mastered the art of synergy. He knows that small contributions will eventually add up to a substantial amount at the end of the day.

A lesson for marketers here:

Always try to make the stuff you are selling to your target market easy to afford.

For instance, if you are selling a subscription service for say 300 dollars a year, break it down into smaller units. Instead of telling the people they are paying $300 a year, tell them they are paying 82 cents a day.

It works like a charm. People place a cheaper value on the cent; they are convinced they can easily afford it without braking a bank.

3. Beggars know that differentiation makes it easy to sell to a unique market segment

To a greater extent, Apple has been successful in marketing so much due to its special product offering. Apple is not just selling a product; it is selling an experience that the customers are unlikely to get elsewhere.

Beggars are masters of differentiation / market segmentation.

First, they stand out in the way of their dress. A beggar’s costume makes him easy to pinpoint from a crowd. He is so unique that people do not have a problem identifying him from the crowd.

Even within the beggar society, you will notice that there are those who carry placards, others sit at strategic points, while others sing and perform theatrical arts to catch people’s attention. This is all differentiation.

Imagine a man dressed in a business suit with a suitcase as if going for a very important business meeting. Now picture this man sitting down at the street corner with a beggar’s bowl asking for alms.

Would you give him money?

Your guess could be as good as mine. I bet you would think twice before giving your hard-earned money to someone who is better dressed than you. Most people will think that the man must be pulling some sort of a prank on them.

As a marketer, you need to differentiate your goods and/or services. Your product or service should offer a specific experience that will keep your customers coming.

You will not get loyal customers until you begin to offer them an experience that they cannot find elsewhere.

4. Beggars maximize future earning opportunities by building relationships today

Beggars know too well that getting a “NO” from one person will not hurt their chances of getting a “YES” from the next client. They know that there are only two sides of a coin. Getting a “NO” is just one side. There is always a 50% chance of getting a “YES” from the next client.

I have noticed that, when a beggar gets a “NO” from a client, he rarely gets violent or abusive. Instead, the beggar will just wish the client good luck and bless him / her.

He is more concerned with building a relationship for a sustainable future income. He knows that the future income opportunity is worth much more than a one-time boon from someone he may never meet again.

He also knows that if you don’t have something for him today, tomorrow you will.

You are better off creating and nurturing trustworthy relationships with your clients because when clients learn to count on you, they can be very loyal to you. Such clients are more likely to buy from you because they like your personality.

5. Beggars split test their marketing strategies

Beggars are not new to this split testing thing. They have been doing it for ages. They do it to find out a strategy that brings maximum returns with the least effort.

Let me use this fairly common story to illustrate how beggars split test.

A blind young boy sat on the street with his beggar’s bowl asking for alms. Beside him, there was a placard with the inscription, “I am blind, please help.” For several hours many people passed by but only a few dropped coins.

Then a man approached him. Saying nothing, he picked up the placard, flipped it around and scribbled a small note on the reverse. He placed it back and proceeded with his journey. He neither said anything to the boy nor dropped a coin into the bowl.

His steps had hardly faded when many people started dropping coins into the bowl. The boy began wondering why people suddenly became more generous.

Later in the day, he heard the man’s footsteps approaching. When he (the man) had come close enough, the boy asked him what he had written on the placard. The man told him that he had just re-worded what the boy had written. The man had written, “It is a beautiful day, too bad I can’t see it.”

From this story, we can see that there are many ways of expressing ideas. People see things differently making it necessary to keep testing different ideas until you find the most effective one.

Split test until you find the idea that brings maximum returns with the least effort. When you do, stick with it.

6. Beggars know that opportunity meets preparedness

The strategy of market positioning works closely with split testing.

Beggars know that your location determines your allocation. Since their business depends entirely on luck, they have to place themselves strategically for the luck to call on them.

Beggars know which streets they are most likely to get lucky. You will find them near eateries, near ATMs, at the gas station, and such like places.

They know that people who go to such places have the money to spend. They are certain that you have a change to spare. That spare change is what they are targeting and they most certainly get it, always.

As a marketer, you should learn how, where, and when to place your wares before your prospective clients. It makes the difference between getting a sale, or not.

There is no better time to sell to a client than when they’ve just bought something. When you present to your client a complimentary product immediately after they purchase the first product from you, they are highly likely to buy it.

Why?

  • First, their wallet is still open. They’re still in a spending mood.
  • Secondly, you have confirmed that they have the money to spend.
  • Finally, they have no reason not to buy if the product or service is complimentary to what they have just bought.

These three reasons explain why sales funnels are so effective.

7. Beggars spend a lot of time praying and meditating

A brief encounter with a beggar will reveal to you that they are a prayerful lot.

In fact, beggars tend to pray more for other people than themselves. They believe that God will hear their prayers and bless those who provide for them. They believe that, by praying for you, you will prosper and the spillover effect will be their blessing.

As a marketer, you should seek for the prosperity of your clients, always. When your clients prosper, their purchasing power increases. In a moment, they can now afford to purchase more stuff from you. This translates into more sales, more revenue, and more profits for you.

You cannot always help all your clients materially, but you can help them spiritually by praying for them. Before you meet your next client, pray. Prayers have a way of working out things in people’s hearts.

Spend some time to grow your faith; it makes things that seem impossible to be doable. You will look back at the challenges you overcome in your journey and ask yourself, “… and how did I even overcome that challenge?”

You will know that it is not you but God working in you.

What else does a beggar teach you about marketing?

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About Kevine Otieno

I am a versatile freelance copywriter who majorly writes about lifestyle, foods, and technology. I believe that great copy should sell itself. Get the scoop at Copywriting Tipster.

Comments

  1. Omondi says

    January 21, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    Nice one… What a research! Keep it up.
    Thanks

    Reply
  2. Mary Atieno says

    March 4, 2019 at 1:33 pm

    Grate insight. Who would have thought you could learn so much from a beggar?

    Thank you Kevine

    Reply
  3. Mary Atieno says

    March 4, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    Grate insight. Who would have thought you could learn so much from a beggar?

    Reply
  4. ishmael says

    June 4, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    Great article, i will read it over and over again. kudos Kevin!

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth Wanjiru ndung'u says

    May 9, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    A good piece,,,,I’ve learnt to be a master of my hustle in the sense that beggars have learnt all the tactics required to take something home daily

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      May 14, 2018 at 1:07 pm

      Keep working on your craft, Elizabeth.

      Reply
  6. Josephine says

    April 3, 2018 at 10:08 am

    hi Kevin. The title of this article is catchy.I was browsing about article writing and I came across it twice in a few minutes. And guess what , I really wanted to confirm whether it was written by a Kenyan. I am not undermining Kenyan writers, Its just that mostly such articles are found in blogs done by foreigners. I am not a writer but I love reading. I actually don`t have grammatical words to describe this article, but it has touched my heart. May be I expected someone like Bredon Burchard or Robert Kiyosaki. Great lessons and today I will spend time here reading your articles. May the Lord God enlarge your territories.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      April 3, 2018 at 11:10 am

      Hi Josephine,
      The article was actually written by a Kenyan. I wanted to share these novel lessons from the most despised group in the society. Glad that you’ve found it helpful. Don’t forget to share with your connections.

      Reply
  7. Joshua njari says

    January 15, 2018 at 5:40 pm

    Great stuff. Highly informative.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      January 16, 2018 at 5:40 pm

      You are welcome, Joshua.

      Reply
  8. Stefan Alexander says

    January 12, 2018 at 5:05 pm

    Hi, Kevine! This is such great content! Who knew that such lessons can be learned from beggars!! Especially to marketers whose sole purpose is to make a lot of money from marketing products. The irony is just shocking. But it is also true. A marketer needs to be patient, focused, humble, and ready to make a sell without losing any future clients. Your article is very good, man! Congratulations.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      January 12, 2018 at 7:04 pm

      Hi, Stefan,
      Thanks for stopping by. Beggars have great subliminal lessons for all of us, if we can be humble enough to learn from them.

      Reply
  9. Bilichi Kenya says

    January 6, 2018 at 12:20 pm

    This is a great read. I enjoyed reading it. Very informative.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      January 6, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      You’re welcome, Bilichi.

      Reply
  10. online timesheet says

    December 15, 2017 at 9:47 am

    Worth reading infcormation, it helps me a lot Great post

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      December 15, 2017 at 2:37 pm

      You’re welcome.

      Reply
  11. Aggrey Amimo says

    December 14, 2017 at 10:25 am

    Such a fresh and nice post that relevant to almost everyone in the society. I will keep on reading it again and again until i master this lessions. Thanks Kevine.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      December 14, 2017 at 12:04 pm

      You are welcome, Aggrey. The lessons are inspiring indeed. I try to apply them everyday.

      Reply
  12. Cornelius says

    December 10, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    Imagine I am a newcomer to your site and now I feel I have been wasting a lot. I have been seeing beggars throughout my life but I hardly discovered this lessons from them. This is really eye opener. Thanks Kevine – great to meet you – I was only following Walter’s great staff but now I have discovered that Walter is surrounded by only great men and Women.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      December 10, 2017 at 12:59 pm

      Hi Cornelius, great to meet you too. Walter, for sure, is surrounded. Glad this post gave you a new perspective.

      Reply
  13. Jesse From Price Kenya says

    November 13, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    No matter how early you rise in the morning to attend to your business, a beggar will almost always be out in the streets long before your arrival.. This is totally true. And there are some you will find in the streets even at midnight.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      November 18, 2017 at 6:18 pm

      And they don’t take a leave. Never

      Reply
  14. susan wanja says

    October 16, 2017 at 10:25 am

    that piece makes me feel as if am in a marketing class once again. thanks Walter

    Reply
  15. Martha says

    October 10, 2017 at 4:43 pm

    A great piece.. My one lesson is that beggars will keep asking for more from the same people,.you get used to them at a certain spot that you soon miss them if they move.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 10, 2017 at 6:50 pm

      They know that persistence eventually bears fruit. Remember the story of the woman in Luke 18?

      Reply
  16. Elizabeth says

    October 10, 2017 at 8:38 am

    Awesome piece Kevine. That points about persistence and catching your eye is what makes them as successful as they are scary. Reminded me of hawkers too.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm

      Masters of strategy, I tell you.

      Reply
  17. Duncan says

    October 10, 2017 at 7:52 am

    Great insights. The intriguing thing about some of the points is that I know about them but I hardly ever apply them as I ought. Reading this has kind off jogged me to action again, and I see greater success up ahead. Thanks Walter. God bless.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 10, 2017 at 9:49 pm

      Welcome, Duncan. Get to work and put them to action. You will never look back.

      Reply
  18. Joy says

    October 10, 2017 at 12:38 am

    Kevine, You are right about “A beggar’s costume makes him easy to pinpoint” There is a beggar at the road junction who wears a peculiar Hat. -You cannot avoid seeing him or noticing his hat. . Great analogy. When we work online, the question is; what makes you different from the other person? I will pray more for my clients too after reading this article..Great Post!

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 10, 2017 at 6:38 pm

      You are welcome Joy. Pray for them because their success is your success too.

      Reply
  19. Martin says

    October 9, 2017 at 5:59 pm

    A great piece Walter. A word from you changes my attitude daily. You’re a great inspiration to me.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 10, 2017 at 9:45 pm

      Glad you found the post educative, Martin.

      Reply
  20. Martin says

    October 9, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    Excellent information. I happen to fall in love with each and every word from you.

    Reply
  21. Mary Wangari says

    October 9, 2017 at 3:08 pm

    Thanks for this Educative information. I am a newbie and I needed this like yesterday.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 10, 2017 at 9:43 pm

      You are welcome, Mary.

      Reply
  22. Joyce says

    October 9, 2017 at 9:45 am

    Thanks Walter for the insightful article on marketing strategy. Joining you soon! Thanks.

    Joyce

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      October 9, 2017 at 10:04 am

      Thanks Joyce. I believe you meant Kevine, the author, though 🙂

      Reply
  23. Wanguba Muriuki says

    October 9, 2017 at 9:37 am

    Excellent information and insight. I have purposed to acquire some new strategies through this inspiration today.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 9, 2017 at 1:19 pm

      That beggars have so much to offer will take many by a big surprise. The lessons are priceless.

      Reply
  24. Chepkorir M. says

    October 9, 2017 at 9:05 am

    A very niece piece indeed, I am a marketer myself and this will keep me going. Thanks a lot keep up the fight.

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 9, 2017 at 1:13 pm

      You are welcome, Martha. Glad you gleaned some inspiration from this post to keep you moving forward.

      Reply
  25. Diana K says

    October 9, 2017 at 6:39 am

    Awesome Read! What a thought provoking way to begin the week!

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 9, 2017 at 1:14 pm

      Welcome, Diana. Wishing you a prosperous week

      Reply
  26. Alex Ovey says

    October 9, 2017 at 5:45 am

    I just love this article. I am yet to launch my online enterprise and have wondering how to approach marketing. You just syked me up and given me a reason to keep puhsing. Thanks Kevin Otieno

    Reply
    • Kevine Otieno says

      October 9, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      You are welcome, Alex. The only thing stopping you from starting is you. Overcome the obstacle and you’re rolling.

      Reply

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