Presenting

62 March | 2021 "Cast Member" knows that what they really do is "make magic." Lots of companies make athletic shoes and apparel, but Nike has the "Just Do It" spirit; winners wear Nike. Are you building relationships with your customers, or are you just fi lling orders? Long-term bottom-line success is built on relationships. So who are you? A business in the fi nancial industry discovered that many of its customers were recommending it because it "wasn't as bad as the other bank." Ouch! at is not a recommendation! Start by being clear. What do you want your customers to say about you when they do your marketing for you? Know your customers. Really know them! A customer is anyone who needs your product or service. In the fl oral industry, I can see that two of the key customer pillars are the person who places the order and the person who receives the product. Always remember to stand in both of their shoes. Even if you may have minimal control over a part of the experience ( for instance, if you don't do your deliveries), that part still aff ects business, and your job is to see how you can impact all aspects of your customers' experiences. Yes, success is based on standing in your customers' shoes (or sitting at their screens) and reminding yourself what they need, how they feel and what matters to them. e truth is that we each know what we like and what we want, but we have to continually remind ourselves that the way we want something may not be the way others want that same thing. e sooner we get out of our own heads and make an eff ort to really ask, listen, and value their perspectives and feelings, the quicker our bottom line will start ticking up. Seriously! Know that the fi rst impression is the most important. One of the most powerful things I saw at Disney was the design strategy the company has for the attractions and customer locations. e Disney Imagineers (the people who design Disney attractions) say, " You never get a second chance to make a fi rst impression, so what if we build three fi rst impressions into each place the customer enters whether it's a restaurant, a hotel or the park? Here's an example of how this strategy works on the biggest entry of all. When you enter the Magic Kingdom, you see the train station with the Mickey clock of fl owers up on a hill above it. en you see Mickey, Minnie or Goofy greeting you in the Town Square. Next, you see the castle at the end of Main Street. And as you walk toward it, you hear the barbershop quartet singing, and then you take that family photo. How are you feeling now? e truth is that you really haven't done anything yet, and, yet, the multiple fi rst impressions have you excited and energized before you even hop on a ride. And every single fi rst impression is intentionally designed to give at least three opportunities to stand out. What are your fi rst three impressions? Can I reach you? What happens when I call or order online? When I need help deciding what to choose, how is that handled? And what are the recipients' impressions when the fl owers arrive? When they open the card? When they look at the product? Is there anything special, unique, diff erent or fun? Do you build in a surprise or nice touch that makes them say "aah" or "wow"? Building in three fi rst impressions is a key tool in getting customers to do your marketing. e rest of the formula ere are two more important things you need to know to get your customers to do your marketing for you, coming up in "Part II" in our April issue. " You never get a second chance to make a fi rst impression, so what if we build three fi rst impressions into each place the customer enters whether it's a restaurant, a hotel or the park?" - the Disney way product? Is there anything special, unique, diff erent or fun? Do you build in a surprise or nice touch that makes them say "aah" or "wow"? Building in three fi rst impressions is a key tool in getting customers ere are two more important

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