Those who know me would probably know that I don’t like having my photo taken. However recently I spent an afternoon at a local park with Katie Bennett from Embellysh Photography in Brisbane, Australia, who took some updated shots for me.
I’ve added just a couple of the photos here.
I have to say, Katie is an absolute delight to work with. She really knows how to get people (in this case, me!) to relax and be themselves in front of the camera.
So this post is partly to show off Katie’s work and acknowledge her excellent skills, but I also wanted to highlight the extra care that she gives when providing her services.
I often speak about the importance of giving a little bit more … always doing a bit more than is expected of you or giving more. This can be one thing that really distinguishes you from your competitors.
Katie does just that … gives that little bit more. She not only makes it easy to work with her before, during and after the photo session, but it’s the finishing touches she adds that make the experience all the more special.
This is something you should also consider in your business – what ‘finishing touches’ can you add to your product or service that will make you stand out from your competitors?
Perhaps you could package your product in a way that makes it seem more special? Or could you follow-up with your client a week 
after providing the services to make sure they’re happy with the results? Maybe you could add a little gift to your customer’s order?
I remember when I bought a car through a car broker a few years ago. Not only had the broker helped me to find the sort of car I was looking for and negotiate a great deal for me, but when I signed the paperwork and took delivery of my new car I was also given a bottle of wine, a bunch of flowers and box of chocolates, all beautifully wrapped, from the broker and the car dealer.
(NB: I’ve bought 5 cars in my lifetime, and this was the only time I’d been given ‘a little bit more’ with my car.)
The gifts wouldn’t have cost much, but made sure I remembered that experience above each of the others.
Then, 12 months later, the car dealer sent my car (yes, my car) a ‘Happy 1st Birthday’ card. This wasn’t for a new car, by the way. This was a second-hand car. But next time I wanted to buy a car, who do you think I contacted first?
So if you’re not already giving that little bit extra with the products or services you provide, please take a few minutes right now to list some things that you can implement in your business to ensure your customers truly enjoy their experience of dealing with you.
Better still, if you don’t mind sharing these ideas, please post them in a comment below. I’d love to hear what you do to
