Although quality matters and things have to work, the experience your customer has of acquiring and using your product or service should be unique, delightful, rewarding and memorable. Hudson Valley businesses must become theaters and make customers the stars of their shows.
Your entire organization must be built around developing a relationship that is completely satisfying to the customer. Because more value will be there, customers are willing to pay a premium price as long as it isn”™t outrageous. The customer knows they get what they pay for and will happily pay more when you deliver more.
People are busy and successful organizations are saving customers both time and money by employing technology to add convenience and reduce cost. Shop-at-home services like the Home Shopping Network and QVC are great examples. Their viewer is always the star of their shows.
The Lands”™ End web site allows its “stars” to try on different outfits in virtual reality after creating a personal model based on their specific measurements. “Our conversion rates on orders associated with My Virtual Model are 34 percent higher and the average order value is 8 percent higher,” said Sam Taylor, vice president of e-commerce for Lands”™ End.
Stars want to talk with people who know their business. Radio Shack, Nordstrom, and PetSmart are examples of companies that have mastered product expertise. At PetSmart, associates wear a button with a picture of a particular animal to indicate their area of “special expertise.”
Even a company producing tires can produce stardom. Andre Michelin published the first edition of The Michelin Guide in 1900 to help drivers maintain their cars, find decent lodging and eat well while touring France. It included addresses of gas stations, mechanics and tire dealers, along with local prices for fuel, tires and auto repairs.
More recently, Shell Oil built its expertise in auto maintenance and highway safety by publishing booklets filled with useful information on everything from improving gas mileage to how to avoid getting mugged. The printed theaters of both Michelin and Shell helped their customers enjoy far more rewarding travel experiences.
Professions that specialize in a specific area can also continue to thrive. There are physicians, attorneys, engineers and accountants who demonstrate and market expertise in a single area and remember that their customer is always on “center stage,” a stage they know better than anyone else.
The customer can also be the star of your show when doing business with you by enjoying a certain feeling, such as that of a European coffee shop while at Starbucks. Organizations may also create “stardom” by pursuing “status marketing” best understood by dropping a few names:
- Tiffany
- Mercedes
- Rolex
- Porsche.
Joint custody customers, many organizations share them. IBM and Oracle have worked together since 1986 to solve complex business problems for more than 30,000 organizations. Even though there are multiple vendors involved, the process is seamless to the customer.
Stars are also served by psychotherapists or hairstylists who makes house calls. What does your customer experience when doing business with you now? By making your organization a theater and keeping their needs center stage your customer will always be the star of the show and you will maximize future success.
Questions for discussion:
How can we convert our business model to a theater, keep the needs of our customers”™ center stage and let them know they are the stars of our show?
Have we spoken with our suppliers and outside vendors about the concept of “joint custody customers” and how important their role is to us?
Joe Murtagh is The DreamSpeaker, an international keynote speaker, meeting facilitator and business trainer. For questions or comments, Joe@TheDreamSpeaker.com, www.TheDreamSpeaker.com or call (800) 239-0058.
