"Do The Unexpected" - AOL Small Business

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By STEVE STRAUSS, AOL SMALL BUSINESS

Q: Hey Steve -- I feel like my business is in a rut. We are successful and all, but I want to try some new things. The problem is 1) what, and 2) cost. Suggestions? Thanks!

Joe

A: Let me begin to answer your question this way:

I was in New York recently on business and upon checking into my hotel, the clerk said to me: "Mr. Strauss, we are not full tonight. Would you like a free upgrade?" The next thing I knew, they handed me a goody bag of bottled water and chocolate and then took me up to a gorgeous suite. As I was not a frequent guest of this hotel or chain, I was very surprised. Will I be back? You bet!

All businesses fall into ruts. That is quite common. But the best businesses, the exceptional ones, do like the hotel in New York -- they do the unexpected.

Doing the unexpected in your business can pay tremendous dividends -- for your customers of course, but also to you. Doing something different or unexpected shakes things up. It revs up the 'ol creative juices. And that, in turn, can create a domino effect of other positives. As they say, if you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting what you have always gotten.

Here is what I am talking about:

Unexpected customer service: This is one area where doing the unexpected can make the biggest difference. Customers expect that you will offer a good product or service at a fair price and be pleasant in the process; that is a given. But it is when you go above and beyond and do something special that they take notice and you begin to create exceptional loyalty.

Here's an example: I recently read a story about a gentleman who took his car to the repair shop. On the way home he realized that something was still not quite right with the car. He called the repair shop from home and they offered to send someone out to pick up the car, they stayed open late to fix it right, and they delivered it back to him a few hours later. The customer was delighted at this unexpected service and the shop turned lemons into lemonade.

Unexpected marketing: You have a couple of cool marketing tricks up your sleeve. You must -- you are still in business. But the problem is that by doing the same marketing campaign again and again, year after year, the same people see it.

But by doing something new and different, you ensure that new people will become aware of your business. Maybe it's putting up some Facebook ads or starting to tweet daily specials. Maybe you start advertising on the radio. Whatever the case, unexpected marketing will yield unexpected results.

Unexpected products: I see that some airlines are starting to offer in-flight WiFi. That is new and unexpected and nice. What about Jet Blue giving everyone their own TV set on the seat in front of them? A unique product can be a difference maker. Just ask the Chia Pet people.

Unexpected policies: Nordstrom's return policy is world famous. And the diner down the street that won't let you substitute a salad for french fries is evidence of the power of the unexpected policy for the wrong reason.

Unexpected priorities: Great businesses are about more than making a profit. When he died, Joe Wilson, founder of Xerox, was found with a small blue index card he kept in his wallet. It said, in part, "To attain serenity through the leadership of a business which brings happiness to its workers, serves its customers, and brings prosperity to its owners."

"Bring happiness to its workers?" Wow.

Doing the unexpected helps you stand out from the crowded field because it is, well, unexpected.