Keeping it Real. Businesses nowadays are continually promoting what they want to be, often paying A-list celebrities to endorse a product they don’t believe in. The problem is, they often don’t live up to their promises and marketing messages.
How many times have you seen engaging media campaigns that draw you in to a new store, restaurant or café? When you arrive, the exterior appears to live up to your expectations, but once you begin to interact with this place, you are quickly disappointed, as the staff are rude and uninterested.
Don’t be an imposter or pretend you’re something you’re not. Don’t try to be the same as your competitors. Be different – an individual. It’s important to understand what you are and more importantly, what you don’t want to be. Design your business around your consumer, your target audience and commit to one direction and offering. You don’t see KFC offering Sushi just because it has become a popular takeout option; they stick with what they are, a chicken shop.
At Di Bella Coffee, we are continually approached with new opportunities. It’s the opportunities we turn down that have helped us to carve out a position in the coffee industry, as experts in the field.
In a positive way, make a point of communicating what you’re not. This can often help to set you apart from your competitors. Don’t sell or pay to have your message heard … earn it. If you want people to perceive you as a company that goes above and beyond for your customers, ensure you deliver on this promise by offering personalised service or remembering their name, and build a relationship with them.
Don’t take your customer for granted; work to retain them and in turn, they will generate more business for you through word of mouth. Every encounter you have with a customer is an opportunity to instill confidence in your business.
The customer is sizing you up at every touch point and if you fail to fulfill your promise, then you will lose customers. Not just one, but many; for every unsatisfied customer, there are 10 other friends who have heard of their unsavoury experience. It’s all about exceeding expectations and adding value to your customers’ experience. This will help you to position yourself in a different light from your competitors and ensure you develop a loyal customer base.
