Thinking of Kool Aid reminds me of my favorite time of year...SUMMERTIME!
If you have kids, or grandkids, or even if you just remember what it was like to be a kid, you know that part of the fun of summer is having something fun to drink. When I was growing up it was usually Kool Aid or iced tea, or sometimes lemonade. Now you may have kids of your own, and you're the one they run to when they're thirsty. You're the one holding the pitcher, filling the cups or glasses held by eager little hands to help them cool off from working up a good sweat in the hot sun. It makes perfect sense that you give them as much (or as little) as they can handle at one time, so they can drink until they're satisfied. And when they're done, they'll say one of two things:
"Thank you," hand you the cup, run along and play, or
"Thank you, can I have some more?"
Not hard to figure out, right? They're kids, that's what they do, that's how they roll. Now let me ask you something. If your child asked you for some Kool Aid, would you dump the the whole pitcher on their little head? Of course you wouldn't! NOBODY in their right mind would do that to their child, or anybody else's child, for that matter. You might scare them, upset them, overwhelm them. They'd run from you, avoid you like the plague, and they wouldn't want to be around you very much because they feel like they can't trust you. (And don't get me started on what would happen if their parents found out what you did...do I really need to state the obvious?)
Now lest you think this applies only to children, you need to realize something: as we grow older this mindset does not change. People are willing to see only as much as they can handle at any given time. It's as true for personal relationships as it is for business. Put another way, people won't drink water through a fire hose when a simple straw will do the trick just fine. And just like Kool Aid, when you let people see who you are or what you do, they will respond in one of two ways:
"Thanks, but I'm not interested,"
or
"Thank you, can you tell me more about yourself (or your business)?"
By the way, have you noticed when you offer Kool-Aid to a child, you don't have to convince them to drink it? They already like it: the bright color, the cold sensation over ice, the sweet taste on their tongue. It's rare that children say no to Kool-Aid, and even if they do, there's no reason to get upset about it. Why talk them into it when there are plenty of kids around who already like it? Just offer it to the ones who want it...if they say no, you say NEXT! Don't take it personal, no need to be offended. It's like water off a duck's back. No big deal.
Long story short, you or your business are just like Kool-Aid: bright, colorful, attractive, fun to have around or be around. Offer who you are and what you have to people who may like what you bring to the table, but only give them as much as they can handle. Serve a little at a time. Don't dump everything on them at once; don't force yourself on them. Serve them through a cup or a glass, use a straw if you have to. You don't have to overwhelm them with T.M.I. (Too Much Information), which can frighten or discourage them. Make the process as easy as possible. Give them enough to satisfy their curiosity, and when they're finished, one way or another, make sure that as you part company, they leave with a good taste in their mouths.
And if you can do that, maybe the people you meet will look forward to seeing you just as much as the kids who yell,
"Hey, Kool-Aid...!!!"
OH YEAHHHHH.....!!!!!!
That's all for now, gotta run. Until we meet again, remember...
Keep it simple....See ya!
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