This week I was on the road meeting face to face with several of our small business clients. Between meetings, I had just a few minutes to grab lunch at a fast food restaurant. While waiting in the drive-thru, I noticed a huge banner painted on the side of the car dealer across the street: "Home of the FREE 100,000 mile warranty."
It got my attention alright. But then I started thinking: "When was the last time I drove a car to 100,000 miles? I wonder how much he marks up his cars to pay for that gimmick? I bet there are a gazillion strings tied to that offer. I wonder if it’s a pain to actually get the service since it was free…"
You get the picture.
This car dealer could have just as easily decided to be straightforward, sell an emotion/feeling/experience rather than shoot straight for the commodity. The offer of the free commodity made my mind wander in all sorts of negative, skeptical, "too good to be true" ways. For the owner, every time he sells a car, his profit is compromised by this expensive "selling tool."
As a small business owner, selling an experience is less expensive and it profits more. Experiences build relationships that no "100,000 mile warranty" can build. People stay connected with an experience.
