What's memorable about you? (part two)

A few days ago, I asked:

If you had a client/customer who took their business to a competitor for a year or two and then decided to come back...how would they complete this sentence... 

"Do you guys still....."

What do you do for/with your clients that is so memorable that even 2 years later, they'd hope it was still part of your company's culture?

I know the kinds of things that went through your brain -- we deliver on time, on budget.  We partner with our clients.  We are accessible. Etc. etc. etc.

And you'd think that those are the things that matter.  After all, they're the big things. 

But they are also the expected things.  Our clients have every right to expect that we'll deliver a quality product on budget and on time. 

What they don't expect but grow to to love are the little extras.  Those gestures that say "we're glad you're with us.  Something special happens here." 

At McLellan Marketing Group, that extra something comes in the shape (and flavor) of M&M cookies.  Warm from the oven. Every meeting at our place. Every time.   To add a little branding lesson into the treat, we only use  M&Ms that match the colors in our logo.

The scenario I painted above happened to us recently.  A client left and then decided to come back. As we set up our first re-meeting at the MMG headquarters -- the client asked, "Do you still bake the cookies?"

She was pretty happy when I said yes.

CK talks about how the little things make a big difference.  Check it out!   

And -- find a way to be memorable.

Comments

[Adam Steen]

I can speak from experience when I say... those cookies were the most memorable part of my day...

- Hemingway (circa 2007)

[DotMySpot]

Hi Nice blog here :)

Just wondering would u be interested in exchanging links..

Do let me know :)

Thanks a million!

[Mario Vellandi]

A very unique aspect of personal branding that sticks because of well...sharing something good (yummy). Something I need to pick up

[Drew McLellan]

Hemingway --

Glad to hear it! Thanks for the feedback. Now here's the interesting thing. If you hadn't read this post, would you have expected the cookies to be there the next time you had a meeting at MMG?

Drew

[Drew McLellan]

Mario,

Our clients love it. Such a simple, relatively inexpensive thing to do. I think every company should have their version of the warm cookies from the oven.

Drew

[Steve Woodruff]

The cookies served at Doubletree Hotel have had the same effect on me...

http://brandimpact.wordpress.com/2006/10/25/on-the-double/

Those little touches are sometimes the only things that truly "stick"!

[Drew McLellan]

Steve,

Great post. Thanks for sharing the link.

I think in some ways we have been over "have a nice day'd" to the point that we don't even hear it anymore. But, its hard to ignore a gesture like a warm cookie. There's something so disarming about it, we can't seem to get jaded. Or maybe we just really like cookies?

Drew