[timandren]

Your business runs on customer experience. In order for anybody to fork over their dough they must first have an idea of what they'll be experiencing. For example, if your office needs the service of an interior decorator or your arm wants the amazing time-telling experience of a Rolex watch, you will first produce that experience in your mind before making the purchase.

This perceived experience is what makes business tick. And since business runs on customer perceptions, then marketing must be very important. We want to make sure that the quality of product or service is properly perceived by the customer and we create media to deliver that perception.

The best businesses know the importance of experience. It's part of their daily mantra. They hire the top sales people and marketing agencies that fully understand this concept. Good marketers and designers use attractive wording, appropriate photography, quality paper stock, emotive lighting...anything and everything possible to get across this point. 'You will love this purse!' they cry! 'This vacation will transform your life!' they shout.

As a person of business, you must be a master of the experience in at least one stage of the process. Do you make/deliver a product that is so amazing that it's an experience in itself? Do you provide overwhelmingly great customer service that I would feel like royalty in your store or on your website? Businesses such as Zappos.com provide an incredible shoe-buying experience. They even have a legitimate Twitter presence to strengthen their customer relations one step further. Some businesses might not offer something as attractive as shoes. I understand that. What if reliability in your industry is your thing? or efficiency? In these cases, it's even more important to have a really good marketing team or campaign on your side.

I just read this great article about experiential and material purchases. The author makes some very powerful points, the most important point I took from it is that experiences far outweigh possessions in terms of long-term value to a customer. Think about your own experiences for a moment. Is there more value in a concert you experienced or a jacket you bought? Do you have fonder memories of a night out for your birthday or a pair of shoes your husband bought you? Experiences get processed as memories in the brain and we attach meaning and emotions to them.

You're probably thinking that this may place greater importance on a service-oriented business. Not necessarily. A product-based business can benefit equally from mastering the customer experience. In fact, in many cases the experience can act as a multiplier to the product. I have an example I use to help my clients as we work through this. I ask them to think of a vacation they took where they bought a souvenir. The souvenir is a product with the emotions and experiences of the vacation attached to it. Something as insignificant as a spoon or shot glass can conjure up vivid images and experiences.

Imagine being the owner of a coffee shop that goes above and beyond the norm of customer experience. What could you do differently to make the experience superior to your competitors? Could you make a trip to your coffee shop like a vacation away from a busy day? This is where the magic happens for your customer - it's what makes business tick.

[elliotiscool]

I agree 100%. Customer service is a major factor and can really make or break your business.

I can think of so many businesses that I am a repeat customer of due to customer service.

I also agree on your experience factor. My father is in his mid 60's and learned so much through all his experiences, which makes his nationwide company what it is today. I am only 19 years old, yet I have a huge interest in business. I am the guy you see sitting in the bookstore reading through a book in the business section. I strive to expand my knowledge of business, not just by reading, but by life experiences too.

Some may disagree with me, but I feel education is a huge factor for "experience". Some say you don't need to go to school to start a huge nationwide company, but I disagree because the education would have increased your profit potential.

I am currently in several business classes and can basically speak the words out of my instructor's mouth before he says them, simply because I am passionate about business. My goal from all of this though is to get my BBA and then an MBA. The opportunities I can gain from jobs after getting these degrees will increase my knowledge of starting a business. Being able to see how big corporations become what they are is the best education one can get, and in my opinion a degree beforehand is the best path to get to that point.

Anyways, I hope this post has inspired someone around my age group or younger to follow a similar path.

[discountedclothing]

I agree with you. You explained clearly all the details we need in our for us to survive in our business. Thanks a lot.

[skyjoe76]

Yup. Business seminars and books can guide us and help us with business ideas that we may not know. But it's the execution of those ideas that really give us insights of business.

Not all ideas mentioned in books are workable in all businesses. Remember I tried to use one of the idea my mentor used for his business. However, my business is targeting a different market, and that idea flopped big time.

A huge lesson for me on marketing then.