You are on stage!

"Every day your organization - and you - are in the spotlight. You are performing and the audience - your customers - will love the show, hate it, or worst of all ignore it. 

Scott McKain has discovered what the film, television, and music industries have known for years: to be successful, you must create an emotional link with your audience .

In a recent survey, Scott says, more than 70% of shoppers said they would tend to switch where they buy things if it were "more fun" to shop somewhere else. You can get customers to switch to your business by making them enjoy dealing with you."  ~amazon.com

In straightforward, practical language and plenty of real-life examples, ALL Business is Show Business  tells how to create experiences that will make customers want to do business with you again and again.

"No matter what your business," says Scott McKain, "you are always on stage. Make your performance one that leaves your customers with a feeling of Wow!"

What a powerful thing- the power of return business! While I highly recommend that you read this book, below are just a couple of bullet points that I think are really important from the book.

1. Tell your story well. It will make you a star.

What is your story?

We have an amazing story of family and passion and skill passed down from Tim’s dad, Bob Walden. While in his early thirties, Bob was paralyzed from a slipped disk. While doctors said he would forever be bedridden or a vegetable, he proved them wrong and started Walden’s Photography for therapy. 

After we took it over in the early 90's, we created our vision for a portrait studio that was different from the normal "smile and click. We wanted to tell people's stories through our photography (make them the hero) and touch the heart with our images. We are still doing it today and living our vision.

Bob was a mentor to many; he left an indelible mark on the industry and on us as we conintue what he taught us. 

What an incredible story we get to share with our customers!

What is YOUR story? And how do you share this with your customers?

Recently, I have been reading several books by Bernadette Jiwa and she has great information on stories and their importance. Click here to see more.

 2. Create the Ultimate Customer Experience

What are you doing to create an amazing and memorable experience? 

Some things that we do include a self serve beverage and snack bar for customers, a beautifully staged dressing room for them to get ready (complete with hairspray, powder and some makeup for touch ups), bottled water with a Walden label ready and chilled for them and checking up on customers about important events that have nothing to do with a photography session, but is more on a personal level. Relationship building is so important.

For example, we try to go and support the local choirs, musicals or sporting events of our top clients- not only will they be touched, you will most likely have a wonderful time! 

While they are in our studio, our clients get top notch treatment in a beautiful environment. 

We don't want them to go anywhere else and we feel they won't if we can give them the over the top experience that nobody else can.

This week, work on these two areas; your story and your client experience.