During sacred tribal ceremonies, Native American shamans sometimes wore masks and other regalia depicting animals thought to be sacred. They dressed up in costumes that represented bear, for instance, and became bear.
Let's get back to walking a mile in our customers' moccasins, then talk to them and see what happens.
Not long ago I was invited to a resort in the mountains that is booked solid for the next seven summers. They have a chart on the wall listing every family and every cabin rented through 2015! By looking at the picture of one of the cabins, you have to wonder why a humble place with no heat and lumpy beds is so popular!
Well, they take dogs. You can sit in the river all day in a lounge chair if you want, play bingo at night, visit with generations of families that have been coming for over 40 years, feed the donkey, cook for yourself or eat dinner in the lodge, dance, drink gin and tonics, and play darts. People smile at you when you walk by. You don't have to wear make-up. They make chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Sleeping under the stars on the back porch is pretty wonderful. The Ritz it is not, but this place has something special that money can't buy.
The Apple iPhone's App Store is full of useful, fun, goofy, and eye candy applications. I've downloaded Translator, GasBag, Urbanspoon, NYTimes, and Where to Start. I must admit to also downloading the Lightsaber and creating my own character - for research purposes only, of course. Apple personifies one-stop shopping at its best. Act like Mac. Consider innovative ways your own business can become a one-stop shop for your customers – and attract more.
Nordstrom’s recent catalogs are luxe works of art, and absolutely fabulous for fashion lovers. The styling and the clothes–drool-worthy. I walked into the store expecting a transformation from boring into the spectacular new vibe portrayed in the catalogs. Unfortunately, missing in action. A clear case of "over-promise and under-deliver".
Nordstrom's needs to get their marketing and their stores on the same page.
Back to Bloomingdale's.
Ouch.
I cued up for a dressing room at Anthropologie with an armload of cool earthy and jewel-toned outfits. When it was my turn, the sales girl scribbled my name on the oval mirror attached to the outside of the dressing room door.
She came back a little while later, asking me, by name, if I needed any other sizes or styles. This simple gesture made me feel cared for and quicker to head to the cash register with two new pairs of trousers and a blouse.
As we spend more and more time living life through our electronic devices, we lose opportunities for that precious person-to-person contact that feeds our souls. I loved this sign taped to the counter at one of my many local Starbucks. Once a month, they designate a favorite regular customer to highlight. This time they chose camera-shy Clint, whose favorite drink is a grande vanilla latte, sometimes iced, sometimes hot. I am not exactly sure why, but it put a positive spin on my whole day.
