Why Some Businesses Feel Different

Every once in a while you walk into a business and something feels different.

You can't always explain it.

The building isn't necessarily nicer.

The prices aren't lower.

The products aren't dramatically different.

But somehow the experience sticks with you.

I've thought about that quite a bit.

Because I don't think businesses become memorable by accident.

Usually it's the little things.

Someone greets you by name.

The place feels organized.

The team seems genuinely happy to be there.

Questions get answered without making you feel like you're interrupting someone's day.

None of those things are flashy.

Most of them would never show up in an advertisement.

But they're often the reason people come back.

I've always believed people remember how a business made them feel long after they've forgotten what it charged.

That's true in almost every industry.

The businesses that stand out usually aren't trying to impress people.

They're trying to serve them well.

And over time, that creates something advertising can't buy.

A reputation.

I think that's why marketing is bigger than campaigns.

It's bigger than social media.

It's bigger than promotions.

Marketing is the story people tell themselves after they've done business with you.

The question is...

What story are they leaving with?

Your marketing doesn't end when a client walks through the door.

In many ways, that's where it begins.

— Dave