My adopted home town, Baltimore, is in the news today because Donald Trump called it a “rodent infested mess.”
A bunch of Trump haters took to Twitter to complain and call Trump a racist.
But you know what?
I lived in Baltimore for many years, and I remember an organization there called B.A.R.F. Here are a few facts about it:
It stands for Baltimore Area Rat Fishermen, and it was established around 1992.
Basically, these guys go into urine-soaked alleyways at night, bait a fishing hook (more on this in a second), and actually go fishing for rats. Once they catch a rat, they reel it in and club it to death with bats.
There have been yearly contests of rat fishing, with the prize going to the biggest catch (1 pound, 7 1/2 ounces).
Now, about the bait.
You might think it’s cheese.
You might think it’s meat.
You might even try to lure a rat with something sweet, like a donut.
But that’s now how expert B.A.R.F members operate, because they know what Baltimore rodents love.
So they bait their hooks with a mixture of peanut butter and glue.
And in case you’re wondering where I’m going with all this, it’s simply to bring up the age-old metaphor comparing (rat) fishing and marketing.
Whether you’re going rat or customer fishing, you have to have the right bait. And if you want a simple process for coming up with bait that’s attracted many customers for businesses I’ve worked with, check out the following:
A bunch of Trump haters took to Twitter to complain and call Trump a racist.
But you know what?
I lived in Baltimore for many years, and I remember an organization there called B.A.R.F. Here are a few facts about it:
It stands for Baltimore Area Rat Fishermen, and it was established around 1992.
Basically, these guys go into urine-soaked alleyways at night, bait a fishing hook (more on this in a second), and actually go fishing for rats. Once they catch a rat, they reel it in and club it to death with bats.
There have been yearly contests of rat fishing, with the prize going to the biggest catch (1 pound, 7 1/2 ounces).
Now, about the bait.
You might think it’s cheese.
You might think it’s meat.
You might even try to lure a rat with something sweet, like a donut.
But that’s now how expert B.A.R.F members operate, because they know what Baltimore rodents love.
So they bait their hooks with a mixture of peanut butter and glue.
And in case you’re wondering where I’m going with all this, it’s simply to bring up the age-old metaphor comparing (rat) fishing and marketing.
Whether you’re going rat or customer fishing, you have to have the right bait. And if you want a simple process for coming up with bait that’s attracted many customers for businesses I’ve worked with, check out the following: