If someone were to ask you what your favorite childhood vacation was, you're going to pick the one that you remember most. Chances are it's the one that holds your most unforgettable experiences.
Memories are humanity's natural filing system. People re-live their experiences through the memories we store about remarkable landmarks in our lives. It's our human instinct to categorize our experiences based on what we can recall from them. The events that we remember the most are the ones that we talk about and re-visit mentally from time-to-time.
Retailers are capitalizing on this natural human desire. They are moving towards offering more than just a product-buying experience. Online shopping has pioneered the concept of convenience where anyone can buy anything from the comfort of their couch. Now retailers are forced to incentivize their customers, enticing them out of their homes. Studies are showing that it's working.
Let's take a look at what DSW Shoes’ new offering. What perfectly pairs with brand new shoes? A fresh pedicure to show off your stylish new digs. DSW has strategically partnered with Ohio-based W Nail Bar to begin offering its customers a hybrid of both accessories and services. In a world pressed for time, what's a better way to save it. You can get your nails done and replace your worn flats all in one place!
Not only are they offering their customers more service, but they are providing more avenues for deepening relationships with their audience. As we've said before, no one likes to break up. DSW is making it harder for its customers to break up with their brand, and they keep getting better at this! They are even planning to offer shoe and handbag repair services in the future, according to this Bloomberg article.
Now, if retailers are catching on to what will keep and bring back customers in their stores, shouldn't nonprofits grasp this same handle when it comes to their members? Nonprofits may not have a physical location to drive their members to, but there should be a place to invite them for an experience.
Where may that be for your nonprofit? How are you creating a haven for your members that is both enticing and unforgettable? We worked with a nonprofit that decided to launch a magazine for the HR community. Within were stories, best practices, insights, and thought leadership pieces all written about or by their members. It took one issue before the phones were ringing off the hook with members who wanted to be featured in the next one.
We couldn't keep up with the demand. The magazine became a hub for the nonprofit's members to meet one another, showcase their member's talents and expertise, as well as learn about other offerings the nonprofit was providing them.
You can only guess the next indirect impact. Those outside the nonprofit's community and membership were now lining up to share in this experience. Membership increased.
Here's the goal. As onlookers pass by the experience your nonprofit is offering; you want them pressing their faces against your storefront window, begging to come inside. When they have walked through the door marked enter, your job is to give them a ride they will never forget!
Take a page from the world of retail. Become unforgettable, and your members will always come back for more. Ask yourself, how are you doing so today?
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