Whatever he sells, he’s in show business. We all create experiences, voluntarily or involuntarily. Whether you sell thermal insulation, land levelling, diagnostic tests, slimming bands or funeral services, everyone has something inherent to service.

When it comes to creating memorable experiences, it doesn’t matter if you sell products or services to the end consumer or industrial buyers; we’re all in the show business.

The same is boring.

All industries must understand that it is not enough to do business as it has always been done. Opening a store, waiting for people to arrive, asking how and saying “I’ll be right back,” is pretty retro. Welcome to the world of the customer experience, where providing a good service is the least to not die of starvation, but is far from being a differential that attracts attention.

You can stay in the world of “Taken care of by its owner, follow you”, or enter the world of surprise and wonder. Many industries are using the experiences to surprise their audiences and generate involvement for their brands.

We are less and less surprised. In a world where reality surpasses fiction, we need to create “spectacles” to hallucinate customers, launch new services and even attract strategic allies.

Nobody pays attention, and when they do, it’s for a thousandth of a second, so we better have something relevant to say and the way you say it is attractive. Experience makes a difference, creates powerful connections with customers, attracts media attention, attracts talent and motivates employees. It can transform a company and even an industry.

What do we mean by show business?

Business relationships are transforming the way we do business. It’s not just a transactional buying and selling relationship, but the generation of memorable and meaningful experiences for customers.

In a world plagued by bad news, polarization and negativism, we eagerly seek stimuli that make us feel good.

Surprise

Our lives are too programmed and the truth is that we don’t always like surprises. We have had experiences of pleasant surprises, but also of not so pleasant surprises. We can think that surprises are good for birthdays, but not for accounting results. Here we refer to good surprises.

Positive surprises for customers generate a greater willingness to buy back and recommend. They generate pleasure towards the brand. A stay at the Hilton Hotel has many positive things, but what struck me the most was the handwritten good night note. Something unexpected and significant.

A surprise is something that interrupts the predictable sequence of events, in the way we expect them to happen. We all expect something at all times, whether through past experiences or external references.

The pleasant surprises adhere indelibly to our memory, allowing a quick and precise evocation in the future. As Surprisologist Tania Luna puts it, “We feel more comfortable when there is certainty, but we feel more alive when there is none”.

Entertainment

Entertainment captures the attention and interest of an audience, generating pleasure and pleasure. The way we present things can change dramatically (for the better), the way customers perceive us and the way we interact with them.

It’s at the heart of relationships. Just because the product or service is “serious” (civil engineering, insurance, consulting, dentistry) does not mean that it cannot be presented in an entertaining way. This is how the real estate company Home Vestors promotes itself by explaining that they buy ugly houses; or how Best Buy’s technical service positions itself as the Geek Squadron.

Personalization

One of the most powerful and connecting things is personalization. Not only in the design of products or services “tailored to the client”, which is a generic promise, but in a truly personal treatment. Like when someone calls us by our name. That’s why the first step to make a client fall in love is to know him so thoroughly that it leads to personalization.

Know the preferences of each client, their name, the name of their children and their family. Pay attention to your story and document all the information that will allow you to adapt your service and engage in meaningful conversations.

Attention to detail

Industries tend to standardize their levels of quality or service, making it increasingly difficult to differentiate. Therefore, more important than what you sell is how you sell it.

It is the small details that surround and complement the experience that make the difference and achieve the preference. For some inspiration in attention to detail, these are 45 ideas to surprise and delight a customer.

It’s all about experience.

The trends are evident. A lesser impact of traditional advertising, hyper-informed consumers, greater appreciation of the social and environmental responsibility of brands, responsible consumption and search for experiences at all costs.

We consume what we want, not what brands want us to consume. It’s like an ideological current that says, “This is what I want and this is how I want it. If you can give it to me, fine; if not, someone else will give it to me. There are thousands of emerging brands solving things better and the way customers want it.

Consumers are clamoring for more genuine and lasting relationships, not just simple transactional relationships where you sell me something and I give you money in return. We are looking for stable relationships that we can trust; not just offers and promotions. We are looking for experiences. That’s why we’re all in show business now.