The Right Impression

Whatever you’re selling, chances are your product comes a dime a dozen. If it doesn’t, then it’s memorable in and of itself, but unless you are selling this unique product or service, you’re going to have to do something to make your business stand out. Figuring that out may not always be easy, but once you do, you’ll have the edge that sets you apart.

Whether your name, your location, your services or service, you have to figure out what will set you apart from the rest. And above all else, let your customers be your best advocate. If you provide them with a service that can’t be beat, your company will be the one they remember and likely share their good experience with others.

Make your Customer Experience One of a Kind

Offer something to your customers that your competitor doesn’t. Make your experience so memorable and valuable that your customers would have no reason to go elsewhere. This can be a range of things, from letting customers have a VIP tour of your facility during a Business After Hours, to offering special warrantees or deals for current customers.

It’s easier to keep a client than to get a new one, so make sure their needs are met. If you’re unable to meet their needs, help them find a solution, either with or without you. Either way, you’ll give them a positive customer experience.

The best part of the positive customer experience is that you’ll give your customers something (good) to talk about, and you’ll be memorable to them and to the people they tell about you. Word of mouth is one of your most valuable resources.

March to the Beat of Your Own Drum

I was driving this past weekend with my husband, and we drove past this ice cream shop that was in an old caboose. Outside sat a jumble of tents and tarps propped up outside it with chairs and tables underneath. There were handwritten and spray-painted signs advertising their products. We’d seen it earlier in the day, and as questionable, if not shady, as it looked, when we wanted ice cream on our ride home, that’s the place we remembered.

And apparently, it was the place everyone remembered. The place was packed, with all sorts of ice cream options that left half the people in line standing with their mouths agape trying to decide what to order. Clearly, people remembered that place, and were able to tell their friends about it.

Further up the road, we passed another ice cream shop. Cute little cabin building, patio with lights hanging over it, and no one in the parking lot. It was sweet, but unremarkable, we hadn’t noticed it on the way up and by the looks of it, no one else did.

Perhaps it was location, or the time of day, but either way there was a stark difference in the two locations for a hot, sunny, Sunday afternoon. We might not remember the name of the place, but we’ll remember it, and be able to tell people about it, too. That’s what you want your business to be. Don’t be another cute ice cream shop, be the one that swims against the current.

Make Your Name Known

On the opposite note, perhaps you don’t want to have a questionable looking ice cream shop and hope that its unusual appearance brings you success. If your appearance isn’t easy to remember, make sure your name is something that people remember. How many people call a copy machine a Xerox? And when you need a permanent marker, isn’t it just easier to ask for a Sharpie?

You probably aren’t as big as either of those companies, but if you make your name memorable, when people are talking about where they want to buy ice cream they are going to choose you.

Back to word of mouth. A name is an important part of word of mouth, and if people are talking about you, you’ll probably want them to remember your name. You can describe a place or product all you want, but if you don’t have the name to correspond with it you’ll have a hard time sharing the information with confidence.

Let your Product Speak Louder than Words

On the same drive, we stopped for sandwiches. We were hungry and in traffic so we pulled off at a little sub shop. After ordering, we immediately questioned our choice. The woman behind the counter was yelling, and was rude to her employees. We looked at each other waiting for our food and whispered we wouldn’t be returning to this place.

That was until our sandwiches arrived and arrived quickly. They were on home baked bread, delicious and generous servings. We changed our tune really fast after one bite. My mouth is kind of watering just thinking about it.

While I’m not condoning poor customer service and being a mean boss, clearly in that situation that’s their shtick, and they had a product that backed it up. A good product will make you memorable, and I can tell you that I’ll be stopping in there for another sandwich the next time I’m up there.

Memories Made

While many of these examples may involve food, they can apply to just about any industry. Being memorable happens by luck for some, but for most it is an achievable goal that was worked towards and accomplished. Let people remember how easy your product made their lives, or how pleasant the tech was who came to their home, or even how memorable your storefront was in a row of usual stores.

Whatever sets you apart, own it, and do it well. That is what will make you memorable, and what will have people coming back for more.

You can be the place that everyone talks about, and wants to visit or buy from time and time again.