1999 seems like a long time ago in some respects, but relative to the AMAZING, FABULOUS and UNFORGETTABLE holiday my wife Shelley and I went on in 1999 it seems like yesterday.
The benefit to the brand of the company we invested our time and energy with back in ‘99 is that we have been raving fans ever since, and have referred countless people to this company. Our repeat business due to the Power of their Strong Brand Message has made this company literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales from us alone.
Every little detail of our experience was thought through and done very well.
The bus driver who picked us up at the airport was friendly, courteous and very informative.
The resort itself was beautiful with gorgeous gardens, sitting areas and walking paths that were well up kept.
The room we had was STUNNING with beautifully appointed basics you would expect, plus quite a few frills to ensure we enjoyed our rest time.
The beach was well maintained and there were extra lounge chairs everywhere so you never had to worry about getting a seat.
The restaurants were easy to get to and had delicious food with world class servers who really seemed to care about our experience during our meal.
Overall the experience was memorable and it made us feel special. Heck look how many years ago that was and we can still remember it like it was yesterday.
The application to your business in this story is that because of the fantastic experience, we became raving fans and referred friends and family again and again. Because our first experience was so positive, we had confidence in the brand and that’s why we would go back repeatedly and refer as well. That is the benefit that a STRONG BRAND MESSAGE can send to your clients and their friends and families, so lets review 5 components that make up a Strong Brand Message.
- WOW ME SERVICE – Good service has become the norm in our culture today so you have to provide good service just to earn the right to be in business. Great service will get you a few referrals here and there but WOW SERVICE is going above and beyond to make sure that people know you truly do care about them and want them to get more than their money’s worth at your business.
There are countless stories of team members in famous brands that have gone way above and beyond the call of duty to WOW a client.
I remember the story of the Nordstrom’s team member who took time at their lunch hour to personally courier a new shirt to an executive who had an important meeting that afternoon and needed to look their best.
I heard of a Sandal’s resort butler who delivered breakfast to a second story balcony for a couple who were leaving that day and had not requested it because they did not think they would have time. What a great surprise for them when he called to tell them breakfast was served.
There are countless stories of chiropractors calling clients at home or going to visit them in their homes or hospital beds when they couldn’t get in to get adjusted.
What is your business model? Do you want happy clients or raving fans that can’t say enough about you.
- PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL -Think through the entire experience your client is going to have and pay attention to every little detail. Think about the experience from their perspective and do everything you can to optimize it.How often do you redecorate your office if you are a storefront business? How often do you update your website if you are a virtual based business. To borrow a saying from the Disney corporation “The horses must ALWAYS go up and down on the Merry Go Round” which is a way of saying that all of the rides in their theme parks must never break down. I have been there 8 or 9 times and I can tell you I have never seen a ride closed due to mechanical failure (which is one of the reasons we have returned so often).
- TRAIN YOUR TEAM IN CUSTOMER RELATIONS NOT JUST SERVICE – Building relationships with your clients has never been more important than it is now in our virtual based world.Many people feel disconnected from other human beings and truly taking the time to get to know them and their world makes them feel special and lets them know that you truly do care.Do you know the names of their family members? Do you know where they work and what their hobbies are? Do you take the time to find out what inspires them and what they are passionate about?
Remember people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
- INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS – I hear so many business owners who are wondering what stocks they should be buying and what mutual funds have the lowest MER’s and they want to learn how to build a bond ladder.Yet if you stop and think about it, they made that money from their business so if they want to make more money, why wouldn’t they reinvest it back into what made them the money in the first place?Don’t just have a nice office, have the nicest office in town! Don’t just have good equipment, have the latest and greatest equipment in your field. Don’t just have good marketing materials, have the best that you can invest in.
Environment matters just as much as any other factor in your business so be sure and invest back into your business. Clients and patients would rather feel like they’re at a Sandals rather than a Howard Johnson.
- INVEST IN YOU – Keeping yourself up to date on the latest trends and equipment in your field will allow you to stay cutting edge and sharp in your business.Investing in who you are as a person through spiritual and self development tools, books and seminars will allow you to be the best version of you. People can see, feel and hear the difference in your confidence and certainty when you are recommending a product or service to them – especially your own.Do not neglect the person you are and the person you can become as they are crucial components of your brand.
Build a strong brand message and watch the benefits in terms of profit, fun and fulfillment in your business skyrocket.
If you would like to learn more about how we have helped thousands of entrepreneurs become the best version of themselves to build their brand through small business coaching, simply CLICK HERE.
P.S. if you’re curious where Shelley and I took this vacation, place a guess in the comment section below. Winner gets a free book!