So I got a confession to make.
Not long ago I was reminded how annoying it can be to hang out with me when my socks are off, especially if I’m on the phone with someone in a business capacity or reading something about marketing, or passively learning (via audio, video, etc) something.
How am I annoying?
Because I pick my toe nails when in deep thought.
Yes, my little droogling… I will sit there for hours slowly and carefully using my finger nails to “trim” my toe nails.
That means a constant “clipping” sound.
Clip!
Clip!
Clip!
As my greedy fingers pick away at my toe nails, trying to create that ever-elusive perfect clipping that doesn’t turn into a hang nail or (even worse) dig too deep whereas I gotta get a real pair of clippers to fix it.
Anyway, why should you possibly care about this?
Because, believe it or not…
I get some of my BEST ideas picking my toe nails.
In fact, last time I was lectured about how annoying it is to others (hey, there’s the door…), I thought about how I’ve been doing this for years.
Researching for an ad?
I pick.
Thinking up ideas for an email?
I pick.
In deep thought solving a marketing problem?
I pick.
The result?
I don’t know if there’s something subconscious going on (as I mindlessly pick my subconscious mind is “slipping” me ideas) or what.
But I do know I get a TON of good ideas this way.
And profitable ones to boot.
I can even remember a specific one.
I was doing some market research for ad for a client several years ago and was picking away at my toes with reckless abandon. Ideas came at me left and right. So many… so fast… I couldn’t even keep up with them!
The result?
That ad has earned multi-millions in sales.
(And still has not been beaten in 7 years.)
Was it cuz I pick my toe nails?
Maybe.
Probably.
Hellz… I’ll just say yes.
And you know what?
There’s a powerful marketing lesson here.
Did you catch it?
(And no, not saying to pick your toes.)
Read the between the lines and you’ll see it.
In the meantime, check out:
Ben Settle
