Brainstorming Ways to Wow

Have you ever walked out of a business interaction just wowed? What was it that made you so impressed? Likely it was something small but meaningful.

Finding ways to wow your customers can make a big difference in their perception of your brand. Of course, you have to meet the market standards in terms of your service and product offerings—those are table stakes. But getting the edge is many times just a matter of one extra personal touch.

Here are some ways to brainstorm ideas for your next way to wow.

Look to best practices

Start by making a list of times you’ve been wowed by great customer service or an ingenious product feature. Service examples might be: the warm welcome you get from your neighborhood shop owner, the special foam pattern your barista puts on your latte, the extra time your doctor or dentist spends with you to uncover the source of your issues, 24-hour turn around on something that usually takes longer, the car wash that gets thrown in with your oil change, the business proposal that covers every detail, the warm cookie when you check in to a hotel. Spend time thinking about your interactions with other businesses. What elated you about the experiences?

If you produce a product, think about what product features make you happy? Some examples might be: the package that is beautiful, easy-to-open, and recyclable; an intuitive interface; beautiful typography for functional information; the way the product feels in your hand; how easy it is to clean; extras included in the package like a shoe bag with a pair of shoes.

What can you take from these best practices you’ve noticed and apply to your brand experience?

Look to your customers

An easy way to find out what would wow your customers is to ask them. A simple survey or regular check-in conversations can lead you to what would really make them happy. Getting information this way will help you avoid putting time and effort into services and features that don’t matter to them.

Narrow it down and implement

Once you have your full list of ideas decide which ideas are best and can be accomplished by your team. Make sure they are scalable if you are running a larger organization. Then make sure your team is fully trained on the new service details or start the product improvement process to add in product features. Give yourself a timeline to get it done so it actually happens.

Those extra wows are what will differentiate you in the marketplace and make your brand memorable.