An act of cleaning truly revealed the art of convincing.

Usually my wife bathes our 4-year-old son, Caleb, while I handle our 10-month-old daughter, Zara.

Yesterday she had a doctor’s appointment in the evening, so I had to care for both kids.

Zara was sleepy and cranky, and I was unable to handle her and bathe Caleb simultaneously.

So I told Caleb, “Imagine if you took a bath by yourself. Mom will be stumped and you’ll become an independent boy!”

His eyes lit up instantly and he bathed himself in 10 minutes. I just toweled him dry at the end.

This wasn’t sales – I didn’t offer him any candy or toys or trick him into it.

Instead, I pointed him to an aspirational goal – that he can become independent and do by himself what Mom or Dad would normally have to do for him (plus the goal of blowing Mom’s socks off!).

This was marketing – convincing him to take action to alter the status quo for a bigger benefit.

Or, in other words:

Take action to – Caleb agreed and was very eager to try and

Alter the status quo – take a bath by himself instead of being bathed by his parents

For a bigger benefit – so that he can become independent (and also amaze Mom).