I watched the most enjoyable school play I have ever endured last night. I was not expecting to enjoy it, far from it. I have so say that I am always a little reluctant when it comes to school shows and plays. The idea of sitting in small chairs in a hall that is too hot to catch 10 seconds of my son or daughter doing something has always generally filled me with dread. I am not a great theatre lover generally, so it is nothing personal against the young ones, just the way I am. Well, until last night that is, when I watched the funniest school play I have seen and genuinely enjoyed it.
The tale of Scheherazade was great fun. Scheherazade decides to marry the Sultan of her country, despite the fact that he has every woman he marries executed the morning after their marriage. She wants to do it because she has an idea that could save hundreds of other women being needlessly killed. On the first (and possibly last) night of her marriage, she starts to tell the Sultan an amazing story. She is such a good story teller that the Sultan is intrigued. She is still telling the story the next morning when the Vizier arrives to receive the usual instructions for the executioner. Scheherazade’s sister who is also listening to the story (two’s company…) exclaims that if Scheherazade is executed the Sultan will never hear the end of the fascinating story. He agrees and after a minute’s thought tells the Vizier to return at the same time the next morning to be given the instructions to kill Scheherazade (the Vizier’s daughter). The next night she finishes the story and starts the next one. The following morning the Vizier returns and again Scheherazade has not yet finished the story, so the sister pleads that she be allowed to live another day to finish the story. The Sultan again agrees, telling the Vizier to return the next morning for his instructions. This continues for 1001 nights, until Scheherazade finally runs out of stories to tell the Sultan. However, by this time the Sultan has become ill and fallen into a trance/coma. Scheherazade is approached by a Genie and granted one wish, which she decides to use to make the Sultan well again. Instead of ordering her execution, he is so happy to be well he orders a party to celebrate his marriage to Scheherazade for the rest of his life. Her plan to save everyone has worked!
Whilst I was watching this excellent play I thought what a great tool this would be for me to have in my marketing armoury and to use for solicitors across the country. I am on a mission to save High Street Solicitors and want to succeed in my mission. Maybe I should do what Chris Moyles did when he declared himself ‘The Saviour of Radio 1′, and declare myself ‘The Saviour Of High Street Solicitors’. What a great tool to have at my disposal if I could threaten each of my clients with execution if they did not take the marketing action every day that I know will produce fantastic results for their practice. They would only avoid execution if they competed a thirty minute marketing activity that I set for them each day. Failure to do so would lead to extreme measures. The next day when I called to check in on them, my finger poised on the red button, I am sure I would be met with the confirmation that the task had indeed been performed. I would then set a new marketing task, failure to comply with leading to the red button being pressed. On checking in the next day, the task would again be completed. I would continue to do this for 1001 days, by which time the solicitor would have so many clients that his practice would be hugely successful and I will have saved another High Street Solicitor (or the red button will have been pressed at some point). Onto the next I would move.
It might be extreme, but I know it would work. 30 minutes marketing activity every single day will save every High Street solicitor in need of more clients. If I can persuade you and 1001 other solicitors to take this action I will indeed be crowned the Saviour Of High Street Solicitors. Will you take the 1001 day challenge with me please?
Author: Nick Jervis