3 Lessons To Learn From Paul James’ Gardening-Resolutions Video

Paul James story imageFor the past two years, garden celebrity Paul James has been working with Southwood Garden Center in Tulsa, OK.

James shot a video with the local news station that any retailer can emulate: His top five gardening resolutions for the year.

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As you watch the video, take note of three things James does that makes his resolutions list gold for a garden store:

  1. The resolutions focus on customers’ real-life goals. James talks about things like wanting to see something green in the middle of winter (more evergreens), wanting to grow your own food, and wanting a healthier atmosphere inside the house. These resolutions have an emotional connection and they ring true. Even though he filmed each clip in a different part of the garden center with related products as backdrops, it didn’t feel like he was doing a simple product pitch. It felt like he was giving customers tips on how to reach what they already wanted to do.
  2. He focused on resolutions the store could solve. Just because James focused on real-world goals doesn’t mean he ignored that the store is trying to sell more stuff. At its best, a local store succeeds because it’s selling what customers want to buy. James just made sure they wanted to buy what was well stocked in the winter months: evergreens, houseplants, seeds, compost bins, and organic bagged goods.
  3. He talked in a conversational way. James’ appeal has always been that he is relatable. He doesn’t go for the aspirational tone like Martha Stewart or even P. Allen Smith. He has that every-man appeal instead. And he talks about gardening in a way that’s understandable and gives viewers the reassuring impression that they, too, can garden. And the way he does that is all in his relaxed, conversational tone. There’s an inherent respect for the viewer in how he talks, as if he knows they are as smart as he is and can learn what he’s so excited about. Technically, working with a reporter helps, because he’s having an actual conversation. Consider recruiting an employee to act as your own sidekick to help you keep that casual tone in your own videos.

To see the video in it’s entirety, check out Tulsa’s NBC affiliate’s site.

 

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