Experience Layered!

If you’re in business, you’ve probably heard that your business will be more successful if you can provide an “experience” for your customer. What is often missed is that experience comes in layers.

OBSERVATION: According to etymonline.com experience originally was an “observation as the source of knowledge.” Seeing what you do, whether it be physically or with the mind (understanding) is important. This often takes repeated exposures to your message. This is how advertising tends to work, although interruptive marketing, where big $$ pays for prime time spots and multiple slots to get a message in front of you is passé. In the new world of relationships, you have to find a way to stay in front of your target market in a meaningful way so they think of you when they need what you offer.

VENTURE: You’ve got their attention. They take the plunge and give you a try. Experience also implies “knowledge gained by repeated trials.” Just what constitutes their knowledge of your product or service now? What did they feel? What problem did it solve? What benefit did it give them? Will they repeat it?

SHARE: Experience is also defined as the “state of having done something and gotten handy at it.” To get handy at something requires multiple times having done something. So now they have graced your establishment a few times. They are comfortable with your product or service. Hopefully, your story has become their story and now they share it with others.

Make sure you are thinking of these three stages of experience when you are drafting your marketing plan. Every step makes a difference. Get your customer to SEE, TRY, SHARE, and ultimately REPEAT!