Seth Godin teaches the value of making your business remarkable, most notably in his book Purple Cow (a must-own book, by the way).
So how do we put Seth's ideas to work in our own businesses?
Why are some businesses remarkable and others are not?
A story about my friend Felix will help you understand how to make your business or service stand out — even in a field where there are many choices all offering much the same service.
Felix is a cab driver.
When I travel to the many Internet Marketing Seminars I attend each year, I often have Felix pick me up from my front doorstep and deliver me to the airport.
That's because I'm forced to take early flights (from Spokane, you must connect to a major airport to get anywhere), and my wife is usually not thrilled about taking me to the airport at [4:00] in the morning.
Felix owns and operates a single taxi cab in Spokane, and he does it with spectacular success.
What makes him different from all of the other taxi cab operators? I like to think it's three factors which I denote by the initials PSA.
P is for Personality. Felix's service is personality-driven by his irascible, talkative, and friendly style.
S is for Service. Felix is service-oriented. He never says no, his cab is immaculately clean and in top physical condition, and there are always candies in the dish on the dashboard.
A is for adaptable. Felix is always adaptable, even if he cannot supply my ride to the airport, he's the first one to suggest another cab driver who will be able to get me to my destination on time. Integrating these parts of the Felix Factor into your own marketing for your company can make a world of difference.
So What Do You Do With This Information?
Ask yourself how you can you make your product or service more personal, more service-focused, and more adaptable to the needs of your customer, and you just might find you've learned some valuable lessons from a small-town taxi driver named Felix.