The World is a Mirror, Part 13

A is for ATTITUDE
B is for BREAK PATTERNS
C is for CONSISTENCY
D is for DISCIPLINE
E QTis for EVOLUTION
F is for FRIENDLINESS
G is for GOOD WITH NAMES
H is for HAPPINESS
I is for IDEAS
J is for JOY
K is for KNOWLEDGE
L is for LAUGHTER
M is for MUNDANE

Today I’m celebrating my six-year anniversary of wearing a nametag 24-7! Woo hoo!

Which means it’s day 2,191 – but who’s counting, right?

(Actually, the counter at the bottom of my website is.)

Anyway.

Wearing a nametag 24-7-365 for six big ones represents a simple, yet powerful business idea: make the mundane memorable.

I’m still surprised more organizations don’t embrace this. It’s not our corporate policy. It violates our company’s handbook. We don’t want to do anything risky.

Come on. That’s garbage!

Businesses NEED to be doing this stuff. Because when companies can find a way to make the mundane memorable, fives things happen:

1) Customers start talking
2) Employees have more fun
3) The brand lives and breathes in a new way
4) Uniqueness shines through
5) Loyalty skyrockets

QuikTrip is the perfect example of this. I fill up at QT whenever possible (ahem, loyalty), just to hear the cashier say, “Hurry back!”

That’s what they say. In every transaction.

Not “Have a nice day.”
Not “Thank you, come again.”

They say, “Hurry back.”

And people do. Not to mention, they’ve made the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 3 years running. Wonder why?

Mundane into memorable.

Or Bishop’s Barbershop in Portland, where you can get a great haircut for roughly the same price as anywhere else. Except at Bishop’s, the minute you walk in the door for your appointment, the receptionist gives you a free bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

That’s just cool. I don’t even drink, but I used to go there when I lived in Portland, just to get the free beer!

Mundane into memorable.

Then there’s my favorite ad agency, The Hughes Group. When you walk into their elevator, you’ll notice 21 buttons, just like any other elevator. Except theirs doesn’t say “4,” it says “Hughes.” And you better believe every client, potential client or guest comments about it. Then they tell five other people about it. Awesome! (See a picture of the button on my original post from 2005.)

Mundane into memorable.

Or what about the parking garage down the street from my office? Every time I go there for a meeting, the guy in the little ticket box takes my slip and says, “That’ll be $4000!” I go back there every month, just to hear him say it. A parking garage! It doesn’t get more mundane than that!

The point is: this stuff is easy. Yet very few companies (and people) do it.

Because they’re scared of stepping out of their corporate comfort zones.

However, for those bold few who choose to embrace the mundane, here’s what happens:

Breaking the silence = breaking the pattern.
Breaking the pattern = mundane into memorable.
Memorable moments = increased comfort.
Increased comfort = increased approachability.
More approachability = strangers into friends.
Friends = people who become loyal, aka, fans.
Fans = people who love your stuff.
More fans = more positive word of mouth.
More people talking about how much they love your stuff = 🙂 🙂 🙂

Mission accomplished.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When was the last time someone make the mundane memorable for you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Picture your typical day. You interactions with customers, prospects, coworkers. Now think specifically about five mundane moments. List three ways each of those moments could become more memorable. Post your lists here and next week I’ll compile all the answers for a new article (along with a link to your organization’s website.)

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

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