My mom sighed. “His stupid dog died.”
There was a pause on the line. Then I broke out laughing.
I’m not sure what did it. I love dogs. I don’t want any of them to suffer or die.
Maybe it was the contrast between my mom’s choice of words and the emotion in her voice.
Or maybe it was that she thought the dead dog was worth mentioning at all. Because this dog and its owner are not anybody my mom or I know. Or have ever known. Or will ever know.
Instead, the dog owner is the host of some health podcast. My mom listens to this podcast with devotion. Whenever I call her, she gives me summaries of the most recent episodes — even though I’m not curious. And now the host’s bulldog died, and he devoted entire episode to that. My mom had to share this with me also.
You probably know the marketing idea of KLT — know, like, and trust. It works.
Because our brains can’t distinguish messages going to thousands of people, ourselves included… from one-on-one communication we used to have not so long ago, talking to our neighbors over the fence or with our friends over a coffee.
So KLT says you can position yourself as the perfect neighbor. Chipper, encouraging, and helpful. Sharing some gossip… telling a funny personal story… enthusing about a good deal you just got on six pounds of chicken breast at the grocery store across town.
Do this, and people will listen to you.
And if every so often, you also show up in tears because your dog died… people will even bond with you. They’ll feel you’ve crossed the threshold. You won’t be just a good neighbor to them. You’ll become a friend.
Maybe you think this sounds mercenary.
I don’t dispute it. And I don’t have a problem with it.
Still, don’t expect to get more emails from me featuring my podcast-loving, health-obsessed, dog-skeptical mom.
Because while perfect neighbor positioning definitely works… it’s not the only archetype you can fulfill in your prospects’ lives.
Think a little about the people who influence you every day. And you’ll soon see it’s true.
Or if that’s more thinking than you feel like right now, then sign up to my email newsletter. I regularly write about positioning there. And not only that.
I also sometimes practice what I preach. So if you ever find yourself thinking, “This Bejakovic guy is not very likable… so why I do I keep listening to him?”… well, there might be some positioning secret to it, which you’ll be able to grasp and use.