Differentiating Yourself

I am in San Francisco right now. It is a combo trip - part exploration fun with the hubby, and I have a meeting with my publisher on Tuesday.

We have been walking around a lot. As one would expect from any large city, there are many people asking for spare change and dollar bills. I don't want to get into a conversation about whether one should give money to pan handlers. I want to share two examples of ingenuity.

I met David near Fisherman's Wharf. David, like the others, wanted spare change and dollar bills. But unlike the others, David offered something in return.

He had a sign that read "African Bushman." He was a black man but did not have an accent. David had two large branches that he sat behind. If you weren't paying attention, you might miss David altogether and think he WAS a bush.

And this was his trick. He would look through the branches at people walking toward him and when he saw someone who did not notice him, he would shake the branches and jump up - scaring the bejeezes out of them.

The victims laughed. The people behind David waiting for the next victim (possibly previous victims) laughed too. David had an audience and was providing entertainment. And he was clever. His bucket had more money than most the buckets and he earned it. I asked David if I could take his picture, here he his.

I saw the second industrious person near Union Square. A gentleman who said he was from Jamaica, had a small picnic blanket spread on the sidewalk and played pleasant classical music. He had a bucket and request for spare change and dollar bills. And he offered three minute chess games. There was an exciting game occurring when we walked past and his bucket seemed more full than the others.

What I like about what David and the Jamaican chess player did was they offered people their energy and time and were fun and engaging.

I have known leaders who make $80,000 per year who could have learned a thing or two from these fellas.

Comments

[Skip]

Oh, the Bushman... I think he is a local legend there in SanFran. I saw him about six years ago when I stayed around Union Square to do some early Christmas shopping. Let's just say that at that time of year, there were a lot of pan handlers (at least what I was used to from other downtown areas) and after I awhile I got a little tired of it. However, the Bushman was a comic (and welcome) relief and at least he was trying to be different. And yes, he did scare the heck out of me! But, in the end I got a good laugh and watched his antics on others.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Skip - Well, it must be working for him! Perhaps he has started a franchise and trains other budding bushman.

[glasskitsune]

In this day and age, I wouldn't be suprised.