I hope my canines aren’t too sharp. I rubbed my tongue over them this morning and they felt so conspicuous. When I practiced smiling they almost looked aggressive. Mom told me to relax, said “remember why Nature’s Gift chose you in the first place…Real Care for Real Women.” She’s convinced they’ll like my smile because of its imperfections. I’m “relatable” she says. She chattered all through breakfast. Dad was quiet. He hasn’t really spoken much after admitting we couldn’t afford Academy without sponsorship. I don’t see what the big deal is, lots of kids need sponsors to pay for school.
I think that’s the door. The recruiter said he’d be here by noon. Right on time. He’s definitely from Nature’s Gift, all organic fiber slacks and soft leather sandals.
“It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve been interviewing a lot of prospects today, but I think you’re something special.” His hands are as soft as his sandals.
“I’m sure you are aware of the process. If we agree to sponsor you, you’ll have a guaranteed five years of funding. Five years to prove you’re a good mouth for Nature’s Gift Toothpaste. And you must know about our excellent renewal rate. Girls in your demographic have a 75% retention rate after initial branding. At age 18, they often move into our more mature product lines, depending on their development.”
Goodbye toothpaste, hello tampons. He’s smart though. Knows I’ll need renewal. University is even more expensive than Academy.
“For Nature’s Gift, our major concern is ROI -- sorry dear, our ‘return on investment.’ You can satisfy our requirements rather simply. First, we need you to migrate your already impressive social network onto our platform, HEARTH.”
Easy. Steve and Billy already promised to Gather and Marissa offered to become a Companion as soon as I start live streaming. Within a couple of weeks, I’ll have a Fire Burning, on my way to Blazing.
“Second, of course, is the branding. Now you see, the device is very small, just a 2”x4” panel made from flexible silicon. We implant it just below the skin in a painless, outpatient procedure. The fuel cell connects to your vein here and your artery here. The device maintains power as long as your blood keeps flowing.
Throughout the day, commercials and static ads for Nature’s Gift and our subsidiaries stream to the device. The pixels produce superb, 3D-quality images right through the skin. Now, these ads are useful, but where we really see returns is on our customized offers. This is where you can separate yourself from the other sponsored students; make sure you stand out come renewal.
“The device is cloud-connected, so each time you’re in a store’s beauty aisle or near someone who’s recently searched for oral care, readable, customized offers will appear on the display. The more traction you generate on these offers, the more valuable you’ll prove your sponsorship to be. Now keep in mind that we don’t want you to think of yourself as a salesgirl. Just focus on being available…in stores, around your friends and neighbors…and we’ll see the returns. Imagine yourself and your beautiful, certified-natural smile as a living, 24/7 demonstration of Nature’s Gift products.”
It really is so simple. And Nature’s Gift Toothpaste really is a great product. And mom’s right, I’m perfect for them. He’s wrapping up his pitch. My turn to sell myself. I should start with a big smile, aggressive canines and all.
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