What makes you special?

In marketing, too often, we forget that our customers, both long-term existing ones and never been closed prospects, have many choices. They can pick another supplier, another product, another price, another way to place their order… it goes on and on. In the vast majority of cases, their selection comes down to this: a simple, something special that separates you from the others.

So, what makes you special?

Let’s look at an example that a friend passed to me recently…

Many of you may have heard of the Hotel Bel-Air in Hollywood. It's an icon in Los Angeles and in the hospitality world.

I am in awe of their service levels. Let’s take a quick overview of the hotel. It's nestled on 12 acres in the Bel-Air estates. It has only 103 rooms and 300 staff.

It has a Spanish mission style atmosphere, with different design themes from the 1930's, 40's and 50's. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe lived there… they didn't stay there; they lived there. Oprah is a frequent visitor.

Guests come to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy luxurious pampering. The hotel receives praise for their faultless service and magical ambiance. They take service to another level.

Here are a few things they do for their guest:

For repeat guests, they have special cedar-lined closets to store their clothes between visits. They encourage guests to ship their luggage in advance, so by the time they arrive, they will discover their personal belongings pressed, in the closet and set up exactly as they like. They'll even set up family photos in the room, so it feels more personal.

You may not be able to provide that level of service for your clients, but how can you make them feel a little more special?

How about… - Challenge yourself and your team to come up with 3 or more ideas. - The ideas don't need to be expensive. - Once you've finalized the ideas, make a plan to implement them. - Implement and execute one idea a week, or one idea a month. - Track the feedback your clients share with you on your new service levels and make adjustments. - Monitor the new revenue you've received.

Your clients will love the extras, and they will come back to you often – and you will reap the rewards! Make yourself, and your marketing plans, special. Make your customers feel special.

Peter T. Britton

Idea Generator. Wordsmith. Resultant.

PeterTBritton@novuscom.net or TWA@novuscom.net