Surprise and Delight
Two weeks ago I was fortunate enough to post on my birthday, and this week I was lucky to be with my wife as she celebrated hers.
Our birthdays have been lower key since the pandemic, and she didn’t have many requests for the day except that we go to our weekly trivia at our favourite local brewery.
We’re regulars there, and close with the management team, and so I made sure they knew that she was excited to spend her birthday there.
We came in close to the start time, but needless to say were overjoyed by what we found waiting for us at the bar.
Our friend the taproom manager was kind enough to gift her with beer that she loves (which our awesome server later augmented into a 6-pack), a snack, and a homemade sign.
It may have been a small gesture, but to her (and really to both of us) it meant the world.
My wife was, in her own words, “surprised and delighted.”
That’s the lesson here. Find new ways to surprise and delight your customers. It can come through in many ways, and your content can be a huge part of that.
When you speak provide more than just a hard sales pitch. While you should always have a call to action, make sure that it comes after you offering kernels of knowledge and wisdom that genuinely help others.
Make sure that all content generated by your business has value in some form or another. Teach readers about common terms they may hear from your industry but may not easily understand. If advice is heavily regulated, then offer important information and insight so that they can make more informed decisions about using your services.
Include lists, tips, tricks, and other helpful information in a way that your clients can quickly comprehend and easily reference. Moreover, tell your clients at every turn how much you appreciate their engagement.
Beyond simply being engaging, think about ways that your content can be helpful, kind, and uplifting. Talk about times that you’ve helped past customers or clients, or that you’ve been able to ‘surprise and delight’ them with your level of service.
Share testimonials that you’ve received, and incorporate the story of the relationship that led to that testimonial, and how it made you feel. Lead with a human-centered approach, and don’t be afraid to expose the humanity in the work that you do.
Celebrate your customers, and celebrate their wins the same way that you would want them to celebrate yours. Make your client shine, and make them feel like the star. It’s a surefire way to surprise and delight someone who least expects it.
The world can be a challenging place. Taking the time to educate, encourage, and support others can go a long way towards making it a better one.