I like to think of every offer you have as a domino in your domino set, but there is one big domino that starts the domino effect for most of what you do.
It’s this domino that tips people into deepening their relationship with you.
Many people are confused by how to do this. They are talented people that do many things well. But they don’t know where to put the majority of their focus to deepen relationships between their prospects and clients and their business.
Every Great Business Starts with a Great Story
Remember when specialty cupcakes were the rage?
Now you can get specialty cupcakes in the grocery store.
A lot of these specialty cupcake places have gone out of business, but the ones that survived stayed true to their big domino.
There is now a toast craze happening right now. People are taking Toast to a new level. More memorable and more expensive.
The ones that survive have a deep passion for toast. A belief that toast isn’t something you make quickly to throw into your belly. It’s a nourishing experience that can feed the soul. Every item on their menu compliments their toast.
The person that started the toast craze, Giulietta Carrelli, ate cinnamon toast growing up. It was her comfort food.
It became her Big Domino. She does toast so well that people now line up to buy it.
The story of her company was easy and fun to share with friends. They did this because the experience was too good not to share.
Your BIG domino is the one aspect of your business that is impossible to replicate. It’s memorable. It’s fun. It’s what your business believes in.
Passion
You can’t replicate why a business was started.
You can’t replicate another’s personal touch.
You can’t replicate every attention to detail.
What you can do is bring your passion into your business. It’s this passion that can help you improve your ability to connect with your customers.
I like to think of it as connecting superpowers. Your actions must stay true to your passion, focus and strengths.
Ask yourself one question:
What stories about your business do your customers share with their friends?
If you haven’t gotten any referrals then ask yourself, “Why should people refer me to their friends?”
I refer my mechanic because he is a straight shooter. This is rare in his profession and it’s his “Big Domino”.
I go to a pizza restaurant in San Antonio called Dough and pay 30% more for a pizza because of the quality and attention to detail. They don’t just put cheese on the pizza they put homemade mozzarella on their pizza. They don’t just have ovens they have authentic ovens imported from Italy. They don’t serve pizza they serve Neapolitan pizza.
The first time I ate there I actually embarrassed myself by asking for garlic powder. The waiter gave me a weird look, smiled and politely told me that they don’t have garlic powder. My wife and friend rolled their eyes and giggled, silently saying “oh, Karl. You should have known better.” Every pizza they make is designed to compliment each ingredient. Why would I want to wreck the flavor with garlic powder?
They create an authentic Neapolitan style pizza. There’s a big difference. That’s their big domino. A story that’s easy to share. Everything tips forward from this message. Their European style seating (tables close together), large Italian wine selection and long lines all connect to create for a great experience.
See how this all tips into their one main offer of great pizza.
It should look something like this…
(insert ideal customer here) refer me to their friends because I help them (insert benefit here)
Let’s say you are a health coach:
My clients who struggle with their weight refer me to their friends because I help them create healthy eating habits that last.
If you can improve a client’s customer experience and grow their sales that’s a big domino. 🙂
When you can understand what is special about your product or service, then you can develop a relationship with your prospects or customers based on delivering a memorable experience.
Win-Win
When I pay $4 for a cupcake, $20 for a pizza pie, $1,000 for a bike and I feel like I have the better end of the transaction because the product is so wonderful, that’s worth sharing with my friends.
Your BIG Domino is what will start the chain reaction to reach more people.
If you just stopped by and you aren’t receiving the emails to this course (this is lesson #1), you can sign-up here and dig into the Connect and Convert More of Your Ideal Customers e-course.
Great article Karl.
Very straight to the point and extremely helpful.
Thank you. It really put things into perspective for me.
Much appreciated,
Angela
Hi Angela! I’m glad the article helped. I’m working on making my content more action oriented. I’m actually reworking the e-course too. I’m excited and think it’s going to be much more powerful. Thanks, Karl
Now you’ve got me thinking, Karl. The reason that people refer me is not what I usually tout as my big expertise – but it could be more effective, if it was.
People refer others to me because I answer all their questions about digital media, and help them feel more confident in using digital platforms.
That’s much different than ‘I make websites.’
Thanks for the help!
Hi Caelan! I’m glad I got your creative juices flowing. It’s always nice to hear. It’s so important to be someone that stands out, so you make it easier for people to recommend you. Cheers to you! Keep up the hard work.