By archelys3@gmail.com How many people love Harry Potter?When you started your business, you probably had all kinds of visions of throngs of fans, mobs of people who just can’t get enough of everything you do, say, and sell. After all, you get it, right? You see the uniqueness, the specialness, and all the wonderful things about what you’re doing.
But, the question is: Do they?
To help create the bridge between what you know you have to offer and what the rest of the world sees as what you offer, here are a few major areas that, once solid, will go a long way towards bringing those throngs of fans your way.
- Be an Attractive Person
No, you don’t have to look like Matt Damon or Jessica Biel; it’s not about that kind of attractive. It’s about being attractive in the way Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, or Nelson Mandela are attractive; they are people with such a strong inner light that they become magnetic to others. The power of their hearts drew (and continue to draw) people in… call it charisma if you like, but it’s less about your appearance and your personality as it is the (to quote MLK), “content of your character.”
- Have a Clear, Resonant Message
Why do so many people shop at Whole Foods? Is it just because they have good produce and good presentation? Or is it because they stand for something that we can unite behind? And why was Blog Action Day so successful? Outstanding marketing? Or a Message that was so morally ubiquitous (I mean, who doesn’t love the planet?) that people signed up in droves? If the message behind your business is a clear, strong, and compelling one, people will sign up because it inspires them, it harmonizes with their values, and it makes them feel more like the person they want to be.
- Care For Your Patrons
I know this one sounds like a “no duh!” statement, but think about it. How do you take care of your people? How do they know you care? How do you relate to people — as customers, clients, or as true patrons? Are you selling them something, providing a service for them, or championing their cause? I’m not talking about sacrificing yourself for them, but I am talking about relating to them not as peons or just cash sources, but as living, loving people with concerns, priorities, and considerations of their own.
- Create Remarkable Experiences
For this one, you need go no further than name-dropping: Apple. Disney. IKEA. Harley-Davidson. Mini Cooper. (okay, I’ll go a little further… what do all these have in common? They create amazing experiences at every turn for their patrons. They don’t just hawk product; they craft encounters, create adventures, and promise excitement and rich experiences.)
- Add Enormous Value To Their Lives
Think of a business that you love: now, what have they done for you? Has your life been measurably improved since you met them? My guess is that your answer is yes. If it isn’t, then I doubt you would have thought of them at all. It’s not that we love a business simply for our own self-serving reasons, but for the first four Reasons to stick, it all has to come down to a bottom line, and that’s Value (example: I don’t just love my Mac because it’s gorgeous; I love it because it adds tremendous value to my work every day, by making it easy to do my work in a way that’s efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and a joy to interact with it).
Of course, each of these Reasons has a lot of nuances, strategies, and ways to implement them, but this should be enough to get your brains a’churning with ideas for revolutionizing your own business, eh? And, as always, if you’ve got ideas to share or questions to ask, that’s what the comment box is for.
Enjoy!
Read:
- How To Motivate Yourself In Tough Times – archely
- How To Always Be Happy – archely
- Take control of your life and begin thinking about how to boost my credit score – archely