I was reading AJ Leon’s blog this morning and was thinking that sipping a cuppa joe in Shakespeare’s hometown while gnawing on a “legendary brownie” sounds pretty good.
The term legendary struck me, as AJ probably meant it to. I don’t stumble across things of that quality every day, but I guess that’s the nature of legendary, isn’t it?
It got me to thinking about the products and services that I encounter and which among them are legendary.
Sometimes legendary just sits on the shelf and stares back at you – expecting you to recognize its stature without being told.
The Best Widget Wins
Some businesses act as if they were trained by this unseen, all-knowing old school mentor who believes that the best product wins.
This means that marketing, PR and any effort to become an authority in their market are things that only mediocre products require. The best should sell itself simply because it’s the best.
For that reason, the greatest product or service in the world may serve out its life in anonymous mediocrity.
Think about the businesses you visit regularly. Do any of them do something in a legendary manner? If so and they don’t make a fuss about it, maybe you should mention their amazingness to them and ask, “Why the big secret?”
The Seeds of Legendary
Which products/services are without peer? Which of them would you drive across town for? Which of them do you seek out or at least think about every time you’re in that part of town, the state or the country?
Which product, service or business would you enjoy sharing with a friend?
A few that come to mind:
- The Canon 70-210 L (a camera lens)
- That one salesperson at Talbot’s in Springfield, Missouri.
- The Panamanian coffee beans I get a little bit of every year, especially when joined with the perfect roasting.
- The deli/butcher shop counter guys in the paper hats at Harter House.
- The huckleberry milkshakes at a little place in Driggs, Idaho, just across the state line from Jackson Hole.
- The entire experience at Charley’s in Tampa.
These things aren’t legendary because what they create is untouchable. Some are quite common, yet deliver a step above anything around them. Some are legendary because their creators form a great memory in the process of delivering them. Some are just incredibly consistent at touching all the bases and doing so in a manner that’s just right.
Being legendary
Do you see any common behaviors or characteristics of those offering this level of quality? Success leaves clues.
To me, the folks that deliver legendary service offer consistency, little surprises, thoughtful, caring service. Not just nice, but more than you expect. Above and beyond.
More than that, they set expectations by sharing with you that you’re about to experience the extraordinary – and then they deliver that and more.
Muhammad Ali told you even as he stood over you as canaries circled your groggy head. While you don’t have to deliver your message like Ali, you also shouldn’t miss the opportunity to better people’s lives in some way by helping them to see that that you have something amazing to offer.
It’s worth the effort, even for a legendary brownie.
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a business, operations or marketing problem? See Mark’s site or contact him via email at mriffey at flatheadbeacon.com.