Give 'Em Something to Talk About: How Will Your Business be Remembered?

Have you ever gone on a road trip and felt relieved to return to the comforts of home after experiencing poor customer service at every service stop, restaurant, and hotel? People tend to regard good experiences as routine, while notably bad ones are committed to memory. However, top-notch quality service can and should be remembered in equal measure. When a customer is considering a brand, memorable business practices should have a more profound impact than commonplace experiences.

Ask yourself: As a business owner, how will my business be remembered? In a climate where social networks have become powerful broadcast channels, your company must be prepared to market itself and leverage apps, websites and social media that can rate your business, help you present a positive image, and garner public interest.

Memorable business impressions

There's an old show business saying, "Bad publicity is still publicity." Not so in the real business world. It needs to be good, if not great publicity all the time. There are ways to create a lasting impression on both customers and the public at large and demonstrate commitment to the customer through positive and unique experiences:

Provide stellar customer service

Hold yourself, your staff, and your company to a higher standard, and aim to provide superior customer service on all levels. Remember that highly trained and highly motivated employees are better equipped to meet the needs of customers. Here are some tips:

Train your customer service and sales teams to fully engage with the customers they interact with. Specifically, they should maintain good eye contact, listen well, respond promptly, and always be courteous. This will help your business stand out and help you get referrals.

Servicing customers over the phone can be made unique with little effort. Simply allow your representatives to break from their oftentimes insincere and rehearsed scripts and genuinely connect with the caller. Although this is nothing new, it could be just different enough to make the experience special.

Be social. Demonstrate that you value your customer base by using multiple social media channels to reach them. Social media platforms are ideal for receiving feedback and addressing customer concerns, as well as offering coupons and discounts.

Get involved in your community

Philanthropy has several benefits. Generosity and a commitment to doing good earns you positive publicity. Often, it's the little, unexpected things that endear you to the community. These include things such as planting trees, sponsoring a Junior League chapter, or donating food and clothing to those in need. And though there are certainly tax benefits to these acts of charity, a socially responsible stance will likely differentiate your business, increase your visibility and enhance your reputation. Plus, there's the reward of happiness from doing good — and happy business owners tend to lead successful enterprises.

Tell a story, create a memory

One of the major reasons your prospects and customers may not be buying from you could be that they simply don't remember you. Your business might not be the first thing to come to mind when they seek the product or service you offer. One of your most important marketing tasks is to ensure your business is unique and memorable. Although the human brain may not be equally adept at remembering all forms of information, it is, most often, quite good with visual imagery. Remember this as you deal with customers and develop techniques to transform otherwise empty words and numbers into visual memories their brains are better designed to remember. Take a cue from impactful television ads and change simple business offers into something colorful, exciting, and different from anything customers have seen before.

Develop a cohesive brand

The ticket to your brand is showing that you can deliver on the promises you make to your customers. If your brand is associated with trust and positivity, it can evoke a fiercely loyal customer response. Your promise, however, must be unique, deliverable, and integrated throughout your product and customer-service experience. Be memorable by ensuring that all your key marketing touchpoints are integrated – from your logo and website, to your business cards and signs. You should also take the time to craft a relevant, sticky tag line that reinforces your business image. When you do, customers are bound to remember you because a positive reaction to your brand is, thanks to your planning and design, woven into their memory.