How Atmosphere, Ambiance and Surroundings Create Intrigue, Allure and Conversation … All Key Ingredients to Successful Marketing

A small business owner is keenly aware of what things will bring the right client through the front door and knows what to do when they show up. Have you considered, however, who might be in the car or tagging along with your key prospect or client? We recently ran into just this situation this past weekend when Ms. Mayra wanted to indulge in a few minutes of antiquing; a passion sport for Mom but agony for her 4-year old son who’s primary goal in life is to spend his days playing with his Thomas the Engine toy collection.

What we discovered about this antique shopkeeper was that he was a very clever business owner who had more people than his key client in mind when laying out the entrance to his store. Let me show just two brief things that saved our afternoon, making this a “must come back” shopping stop.

First, this beautiful lake was stocked with fish and Mr. Brandon and I spent time skipping stones while Mom searched for treasures. We also saw turtles and other things so we had fun identifying all the things he knows and recognizes. And then, lo and behold, out of nowhere, we heard the cackling of hens and chickens fussing about our presence. What fun!

The business owner, who was actually more of an antiques restoration expert than shopkeeper, came outside to chat with us non-antique folk about the fish in the lake and the chickens they sell (and the many eggs they get to freshly pick out each morning). In the ongoing conversation, I learned that John Ware (the guy’s name) is a master furniture repair person with more than 35 years of restoring even the most broken down antique piece of furniture that you could find back to its original state of glory. That was of interest to me; what a fabulous find since we simply thought we were approaching a simple little antique shop off the beaten path.

How delighted we were that John’s store surroundings catered to the needs of more than the transient antique shopper; the grounds clearly had more than old trinkets and restored furniture pieces to offer and made us stick around that much longer talking and building up warm rapport and friendship.

Now of course, it was just pure coincidence that there was this little gorgeous lake at John’s particular location … and surely your business may not have this super-beautiful body of water complete with a dock and rolling green hills all around

However, ask yourself about what you do have available in your environment and surroundings that would make folks want to stop, explore and inquire.  How can you add intrigue to your ambiance? What unexpected, pleasant surprises can you share with visitors and interested parties? What can you offer to create an environment where prospects and customers choose to linger longer under the umbrella of your brand and presence?

We’d love to hear your thoughts and any similar experiences in the comments.