Investments in people lead to stories. And the stories that are told invariably build the influence and reputation of the one doing the investing.
Think about it:
-When you have exceptional service at a restaurant, what do you do?
You tell the story.
-When your boss does something extra special for you, what do you do? You tell the story.
-When a friend goes out of their way to help you, what do you do? You tell the story.
We love it when someone invests in us by providing exceptional attention and service, and because it is so unexpected or unusual, we almost always share.
One of my clients is Subway. I speak to their franchisees and managers quite often and when I do I always share a simple experience to illustrate this point. I was eating in a subway once in the middle of the afternoon and the store was empty. The teenager who was working behind the counter at one point came over to my table and asked, “Would you like me to get you a refill?” It was a simple gesture but one that stuck out to me because he didn’t need to do it and it took a little extra effort. I tell the franchisees and managers my story because I want them to recognize that their customers tell stories too, and when they learn to invest in their customers by going above and beyond, those stories will help to bring them more business. It’s really true that the best form of advertising is a happy customer telling your story.