When helping business owners with their messaging, one of my most common phrases is: “Why aren’t you saying that?”
You, too, have things you could be saying about your business, yourself, or your product that you’re not saying. If you said these things, you’d see many benefits.
A story to illustrate…
When in Mexico, Laura and I enjoy shopping at the local markets. In one store, I spotted a shelf packed with colorful stuffed animals.
“What are these?” I asked Laura, reaching for a blue and green winged rabbit.
“Ah, right. What are those called…”
She turned to the cashier.
“Joven, ¿cómo se llaman?”
“Alebrijes” he replied.
Ah, right. “Alebrijes.”
She went on. “They’re spirit animals. They guide you through your life, and each person has one. They’re also known to be little troublemakers.”
“That’s a great story,” I said. “Why aren’t they saying that?”
(There’s that phrase again.)
Imagine walking into the shop and seeing a small poster pinned to the shelf, telling the story of the alebrijes.
Better yet, imagine if a TV played a short movie about the alebrijes. Customers could select their language, allowing visitors from around the world to learn about this Mexican tradition.
Or what if that employee approached you and asked, “Would you like to know your alebrije?”
And then she gives a quiz.
I just listed three ways this store could:
- Provide a better customer experience
- Educate visitors
- Add meaning to their products
How?
Not by increasing traffic to their store.
Not by releasing new features.
Not by doing anything hype-filled or short-lived.
Simply by telling the truth.
If you owned this business, why would you not do this? And now for the real question—why are you not doing this in your own business?
People are tired of junk, and hungry for meaning. Give it to them.
Because there is a big difference between a stuffed animal—and an alebrije.
