The Little Things That Mean a Lot

  1. Excellent lighting
  2. Clean exterior
  3. Uncluttered, dust-free interior
  4. Comfortable seating
  5. Nice smell
  6. Up-to-date look (“modern”):

Not necessarily hip or trendy, but really—no fraying, no significant wear, no dated design theme or color scheme in any aspect. For instance? Harvest gold—quick, name a decade! Helvetica typeface on business cards? (Same decade…)

  1. Good toilet paper
  2. Large signage
  3. Wide aisles (wide booths, wide parking spots… “elbow room”)
  4. Quality paper:

Business cards, brochures, stationery—cheap gets thrown out, but many feel too guilty to throw out high-quality promotional materials, which become a keeper or (better?) a pass-along resource.

  1. Top-notch writing skills:

No typos. Sound knowledgeable, authoritative, positive.

  1. Simple web design (fewer bells and whistles)
  2. Use Fewer Words
  3. Reasonable noise level (din of customers, of machinery, of traffic…)
  4. Unobtrusive, appropriate ambient sound (music, usually)
  5. Free refreshments while waiting (Really! Try it!)
  6. Smiling staff
  7. Clean staff
  8. Well-groomed staff
  9. Well-spoken staff
  10. Knowledgeable staff
  11. Involved staff
  12. Superior listening skills
  13. Understanding your customer
  14. Clear Vision.

BONUS DETAIL: Pleasant surprises.

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson