Marketing Kuel Category Expert: Lori Lyons
I love monster trucks. And I love them, not because of the loud noise or their over the top antics. I love them because I had a great experience with them. I became a raving fan.
Years ago, I went to a monster truck show with my husband and then five year old son. And can I just admit that I wasn’t particularly thrilled to go? I was imagining an arena full of testosterone, butt scratching (or close proximity), beer guzzling men. And can I just tell you – I was pleasantly surprised with the experience! I didn’t see one beer guzzling, butt scratching (or otherwise) man!
What I gained from this afternoon was a renewed appreciation for the customer experience. Oh boy – did they deliver on the experience! Here are a few of the “Monster Truck” experiences that you can use in your business – no matter what your business is. Here are some clear lessons if you want to succeed in business.
What I Learned:
1 – Make it personal.
At the Monster Truck Show, attendees had the opportunity to come early and meet the drivers and see the trucks up close and personal. Most of the drivers had long lines of kids and adults waiting for the 10 seconds of time with their favorite driver. We were able to take a photo with them (and at no charge I might add!) We walked through the arena, seeing just how really big those trucks were. I have to admit, we were amazed at how tall the jumps were and that it was a real RV Camper the trucks would later demolish.
What can you do with your marketing that makes it personal for your clients or prospects?
2 – Make it memorable and awesome.
Here it is – some almost 20 years later and I’m still impressed by the Monster Truck experience. I’d say that’s memorable! Do you go above and beyond for your customer? What are the little things you can add to the experience of working with you? Do you set expectations of communication? Do you add value to the relationship. I build websites for companies and this is – quite frankly – a commodity. You can go online and hire someone to build a website for about $200. And you will get a $200 website. It will probably look like every other $200 website out there. Ours are not $200 but it is customized to our clients, we work with them on their messaging and marketing strategy. We talk about how they will use their website with their social media. All this is part of the memorable and awesome experience of working with us!
What is memorable about your business?
3 – Keep it Simple.
At the show, it was the trucks, the drivers and the field. That’s it. We didn’t have to go through hoops to get an autograph or take a photo. We just stood in line.
Years ago I had a referral partner send a calendar link to set a meeting time. Calendars were just starting to come into vogue and honestly, I was a bit insulted! My first thought was if she doesn’t have the time to set her own meeting, then maybe I don’t want to refer business to her. Boy – was I wrong!! It ended up being so simple to work with her. We didn’t send countless emails back and forth trying to set up the meeting. If I had needed to reschedule, I just needed to click a link. Then, amazingly, the calendar sent me email reminders! I was a convert and within days had my own calendar system. It then became very simple to work with me. And the few dollars per month it cost was well worth the time saved.
What is one thing you can do to make it simple to work with you?
4 – Constantly Give Value.
Give “monster truck” worthy, over the top value. How are you offering value to your customers, friends and acquaintances? Customers can be introductions for new business relationships, mentions on social media, or invites to networking events. You can be “the go to person” in your network – need a plumber? Call you – you know everyone. Offer a tip to someone on your social media that is looking for help. There are countless ways to offer value today if you want to succeed in business – be creative to stand out!
How are you going to be different and offer value?
Be The Monster Truck Experience:
By focusing on your Monster Truck customer experience, you can stand out from the others around you. In this day and age – service and value is the key. Take a look from your customer’s point of view – walk in their shoes. And… you don’t have to have really loud monster trucks roaring in your ears to stand out!
About the Author:
Lori is America’s Midlife Marketing Maven helping GenXBoomers take the frustration and mystery out of marketing their businesses. She owns a digital marketing agency,and specializes in website design, branding and marketing strategy. She loves teaching Encore Entrepreneurs how to grow their businesses so they can concentrate on following THEIR passions and THEIR clients. Lori thinks there is nothing better than seeing someone’s eyes light up when they “get it” and then they take it and make money, easily and simply and without the stress they had before.
Lori will be launching her podcast, The Encore Entrepreneur Podcast this summer where she will be interviewing entrepreneurs and talking about how they market their businesses and the tools and techniques they use. She lives in Atlanta with her husband of almost 30 years and helps her 22 year old entrepreneur son with his marketing. She is a sports fanatic and loves her Atlanta Braves baseball!
