There is a short article in the August edition of Inc. magazine from the Blue Man Group about “How we did it.” One quote hit home.

“The whole show is about connecting with our audience.”

That one line is the essence of the business ideas we talk about in this newsletter. “Your whole business is about connecting with your customer, just like ours is about connecting with you.” The better we all become at making the connection, the stronger the relationship becomes.

Telling stories is not only one of the oldest forms of communication; it is also one of the most effective.  Accepting this statement as true should help you see why creating a business story is a reliable way to connect, and to create a bond with your customer that helps you rise above your competition in their eyes.

 

Your business story should be real and personal.  The more you can connect your story to your customer, the more it will help your business.  This is why we often talk about the importance of finding a niche market with which you can identify.  Telling your story to your niche market helps them identify with you.  Sometimes the stories and the identification become so strong, that customers will not even consider going somewhere else for their business.  Doing business with you at that point becomes more than buying a product, it is a relationship.

 

Using the power of storytelling is easy to see in the political arena, and we are being bombarded by it the closer we get to the Presidential election.  Both Senator Obama and Senator McCain are masters at the art of telling their story.  Obama’s is the classic story of the struggling hero who overcomes obstacles and finds himself on the hero’s quest.  John Mc Cain’s story rests more on his past successes, and the experiences of a hero who is now able to step in and solve the crises the country faces.

 

You and your company should learn from the lessons we are seeing in the political arena to create your story and sell it to your customers.  By create I do not mean make it up, but show people who you are, what you have learned and how this relates to your business and your customers.  I still remember Lee Iacocca’s personal appeal on television to get people to do business with his company.  His challenge to the American car buyer was bold and simple, “If you find a better car . . . buy it!”  Surely no one would make that kind of statement unless they were supremely confident in their product.  Consumers bought the dare and it saved the company.

 

Other stories have been used to put a face and an image on a company.  Disney did it twice; once with Walt himself, and later with Michael Eisner — both of whom came into your living room via television to tell you a story and create an image.  They don’t call Walt Disney ‘Uncle Walt’ for nothing.  It was done to create a particular image and it succeeded.

 

Although stories are unique to the company and individuals running them, they do follow themes.  Examples are the “Mother” (Opra), “General” (Iacocca, Jack Welch), “Statesman” (all former Presidents), “Wizard” (Steve Jobs), “Explorer” (Richard Branson), “Faithful Servant” (Al Gore), and “Wise Man” (Warren Buffet).  Naturally, these themes rise and fall with the times — as heroes sometimes turn into villains then goats and back again to hero — ala Martha Stewart.

 

What is your story?  What is the story of your company and your brand itself?  How did it all come about and what is the connector to your market and customer base?  The more you are able to answer these questions, and more importantly, the more you understand the importance of the story and constantly reinforce it, the stronger the bond you will build with your customer.

 

Thumbing through my new issue of the Robb Report, (today’s “Wish Book” for men), my eye was drawn to the article about a $50,000 mattress.

 

The article caught my eye because Linda, my wife, had just purchased a couple of new mattresses for one of our guest rooms, and a wave of fear momentarily ran through my body before monetary reality helped me “know” her credit card didn’t go that high and such a purchase was impossible.  In any event, once captured by the article, I read it.

 

While it is always interesting to muse on the thought that the old $50,000 record price had been replaced by a $75,000 version, this was not the point that my mind began to focus on.  Instead, it was the main lesson of the entire magazine.  There are two economies going on in the world simultaneously.  One is the economy of higher gas prices that spoil the whole day of many Americans who get depressed every time they fill up.  The other, is the economy of the ‘Affluent,’ as marketing guru Dan Kennedy, labels the other group of people in the newsletter he writes on the topic each month.

 

There have always been economic differences in this country, and the world for that matter.  We might wish that it weren’t true, but pretending otherwise is simply not to face the truth.  It is also not the target of this article.

 

The point to focus on here is the lesson that, to the extent you can, now is the time to refocus your business on that group of people who can afford your products or services, or at least a certain segment of your offerings.  If you don’t have a product or service that is targeted to this group, you should create one so that at least one area of your business is less affected by the weak side of the economy.

 

Here are some examples to consider:

 

·        A doctor could have a high-end portion of his practice that offered special service and extreme physical checkups

·        A car dealership could offer a concierge level for its high-end clients that had free car use, special waiting rooms, client appreciation days, and a breakfast club

·        A funeral home could offer a special offering of wakes that included catering service, or special spots to spread ashes — like the top of the world

·        A law firm could provide total annual service for a flat fee or a monthly continuity program.  The same for a CPA or other professionals

·        Retail stores could slot their offerings so a mattress company could have regular mattresses, but also a “behind the velvet ropes” display of the $50,000 mattress. . (Similar to the way Vegas Casinos display the $1,000,000 cash prize)

·        A dry cleaner could offer pick up and delivery for customers of its monthly “Inner Circle”

·        A barber shop could have a monthly membership club that offered special prices and services

·        A pizza restaurant could offer “all Organic” or a Gourmet membership level

 

And in case you haven’t guessed, all of these examples have been done, and done successfully.  How can you do it in your business?  What way can you create a level of service or a higher price line of products that appeals to the economic group that is still spending?  Answer this question for yourself and the price of gas won’t depress you as much.

It was the 3^rd of July, and I was on the front porch of my beach house unfurling my American flag and getting ready for the annual 4^th of July party bash.

 

Across the street, I noticed two neighborhood kids busily setting up a card table and lawn chairs in front of their house, close to the road.  I had a sneaky suspicion I was about to spend some money.

 

I watched the kids for a while from a distance as they finished off a sign that I imagined announced what they were selling.  One of the two took the sign across the street to set up for traffic approaching from the other lane.  The older of the two gave hand signals indicating the direction of the placement of the advertisement.  Occasionally, the voice of the older brother rose — indicating displeasure with the slowness of his younger sister.

 

I waited for awhile before I visited the booth because I wanted to give our young entrepreneurs a time to settle in.

 

“What are you selling?” I called to the kids from my car when I pulled up to the stand.

 

“Lemonade!” the youngest yelled back quickly, glancing at the large sign above their stand, wondering, I was sure, whether they had forgotten to proclaim the name of their product on the sign, or whether I was just a poor reader.

 

“Twenty-five cents a cup?” I inquired indicating that truly I could read.

 

“Yes, sir,” the youngest said, grinning from ear to ear and creating a picture Norman Rockwell would be proud to have painted. “Would you like some?” the child continued.

 

“Sure would,” I said, and waited for them to deliver the quickly-served plastic cup.

 

“How’s business?” I asked as my drink was delivered.

 

“Ok, we’re just getting started,” was the reply.  “But we usually do great.  We’ve got a good location on the main road, and our sign makes people stop.

 

“Have you done this before?” I asked, knowing the sound of experience I heard.

 

“Yes, sir.  Every summer,” the youth replied.

 

“What’s the secret to your success?” I followed up, wondering if they knew what they were doing.

 

“Well, we smile a lot and act friendly,” she said, after a couple of prods from me to think about it.

 

“What do you do if someone doesn’t like your lemonade?” I asked.

 

“I’d give them back their money and pour it out,” she said, but added quickly with her salesman’s smile, “But I haven’t ever had anyone yet who didn’t like it.”

 

Our conversation sort of ended after that.  I could tell she wanted to get back to her work, and, after all, I was an adult.

 

She took my money and tip and headed back to her stand to wait for the next customer to arrive.

 

My jaded side smiled and wondered whether our government regulators would require them to have a business license to operate their stand.  Did the health department approve this operation, even though it didnt have a bathroom facility and they didn’t wear hair nets when they poured the lemonade?  I knew their sign was in violation of zoning, and I’ll bet she didn’t report her tip to the IRS on her 1040.  Yes, that was my jaded side, and forgive me for it.

 

My entrepreneurial side was proud — proud of the tradition that sets us apart from much of the rest of the world — the tradition that applauds the nation of capitalism and the start-up ventures which are the backbone of our economy.

 

I noted that even at this early age, Americans still know how to make money.  More than that, they instinctively know what it takes to be successful in business:

 

1. Have a good product.
2. Find a good location on a main road
3. Advertise with a sign or other appropriate method
4. Smile a lot and act friendly
5. If a customer doesn’t like your product, give the customer back his money, and throw the product out

 

If you are looking for a formula for success, here it is from the hearts and minds of two pre-teens with a yearning for success.

 

Happy Birthday, America, I thought!  Thanks for the opportunity you give us.