Over the last two weeks I had the privilege of sharing concepts with the team at Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate. During the two webinars we talked about creating customer WOW and how the “little things” can truly make a big difference.
Below are a few of the highlights and key points we discussed. Hopefully they will provide a forum for discussion within your office and thought starters so you can begin building WOW into your business.
The Goldfish Rule
by Stan Phelps
What’s Your Purple Goldfish?: How to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth
Based on the “Purple Goldfish Project,” the study behind my best-selling book, What’s Your Purple Goldfish,” the Goldfish Rule is about choosing to be so remarkable that people can’t help but talk about you.
The thought is that if you exceed expectations and absolutely delight someone, they will not only come back, but will bring friends with them. Those people become your sales force and your most powerful form of marketingthrough the magic of referrals.
Think of a goldfish as a branded act of kindness; a fun beacon or sign that shows how much you care.
These are simple little “surprise and delight” extras that begin to build the WOW around your personal brand.
Whether it’s a handwritten note or a surprise phone call to say happy birthday, these gestures can go a long way in making the day of your clients.
Finding Your Goldfish
So how can you define what your goldfish is and begin to create differentiationthrough strategic acts of kindness? Before you can begin, you need to understand the R.U.L.E.S for creating your goldfish:
- Relevant – Will your act of kindness be valued by the customer?
- Unexpected – Are you leveraging the power of surprise?
- Limited – Can you find something that’s unique and hard to copy?
- Expression –How your present your goldfish is just as important as the what.
- Sticky – Is it watercooler material? Will the customer want to share it with friends?
Your next step is to define:
- What the tangible and intangible benefits are of your service or product are
- How your product or service goes “above and beyond” to exceed expectations
- What that little unexpected extra is or can be to provide “surprise and delight”
Next comes the “who and how” of your customer’s experience:
- What is the overall experience like for your customer?
- Do you make things turnkey or simple for your customer?
- Are you responsive to problems / issues for your customer?
Goldfish Ideas to Get You Started
- First / Last Impressions: Cold Drink and / or snacks in a backseat cooler. Utilizing GPS enabled tablets for buyers (perhaps mounting them on the backs of the headrests) and making them available as you drive around looking at homes.
- Pay it Forward: Volunteering at local gardens or sponsoring at local green spaces.
- Convenience: Electronic document signing. Helping develop a punch list before listing or after inspection. Play area for kids within the office.
- Added Service: Free staging or design consultation. Set up a cleaning service just before closing or right after (arrangement with local company for referrals).
- Follow-up / Thank You’s: Thanksgiving card with recipe. Halloween gift bags for parents and kids. Handwritten notes on birthday’s or anniversaries.
So what are you waiting for? Get ready to think outside the bowl!
