Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Aaron Perri, Executive Director of South Bend Venues Parks & Arts. We hope you enjoy Aaron’s wisdom and perspective.
“Enjoy your summer break!” an office intern recently exclaimed to me on his last day of the semester. “Summer break?!” I thought to myself, “that sure sounds nice.” I reminisced about running through the sprinkler, playing in the park, and enjoying Grandma Perri’s vinegar & cucumbers. While this annual three month respite no longer exists in my life, I’d like to reflect on a few childhood memories that continue to influence my professional life.
Adding Value
My very first business venture began when I was in sixth grade. My grandpa had a passion for creating knickknacks, mostly out of wood, but some included repurposed items such as clothes pins. One of his more unique pieces was a clock with large dice used to number the hours. As a gift, he gave me a bag full of these oversized dice – presumably so I could make my own crafts. Looking back, this was an odd gift for an eleven-year old, but I saw an opportunity. My entrepreneurial endeavor involved turning the dice into keychains and selling them for $0.50 each. While my friends spent their payphone money, I earned enough to buy my first CD, Michael Jackson’s Dangerous. This particular venture was short-lived as my principal didn’t appreciate the sale of gambling paraphernalia to my elementary school classmates. Nonetheless, it paved the way for me to run a lawn mowing business in middle and high school as well as an audio-visual company through college and beyond.
Although the lesson here could be about following proper protocols or contingency planning, what I learned early on was the idea of adding value. My grandpa turned discarded casino dice into clocks, I turned them into keychains. Something that had no value to the previous user, with a little effort, earned me enough money to buy a sweet CD.
At the individual level, the challenge emerges: What value are you adding to your business, to your family, to your non-profit group, to your church? Possibly you could offer additional value. Maybe you’re trying to add too much value, by overreaching or micro-managing. Some deep soul searching may even reveal that you’re detracting value.
At the organizational level, adding value is fundamentally what differentiates one company from another. Pragmatically, it’s what transforms a commodity into a product, and a product into a service. I took the commodities (dice) and made them into products (keychains). If my enterprise wasn’t ended so prematurely, I could have added further value by personalizing, giftwrapping, and delivering the keychains. The keychain is worth more than the used die while the personalized service has greater value yet.
This is a basic lesson, but so often organizations overlook opportunities for adding value to their commodities, products, and services. Have you looked lately?
Creating Experiences
Growing up, my family was financially poor. I put the word “financially” in there because we were blessed in many other ways, but money was not one of them. Besides a few minor things, like having to use the little blue “free lunch” card in the cafeteria line, I don’t think my siblings and I particularly realized we were poor. Actually, it wasn’t until recently that I understood just how poor we were. Despite both of my parents working hard, there was a time when our family was nearly 50% below the poverty line. Nonetheless, the reason I think we don’t recall being poor is because of the experiences my parents created for us.
It wasn’t the small wooden airplane or punching bag balloon that could be purchased from the dollar store. It was the experience of searching for the Easter basket hidden somewhere in the house or yard and then finding it carefully put together and festively displayed. It wasn’t the white sheet cake my mom made. It was the experience of her homemade cake in the shape of a football helmet with warm coconut glazed topping - served exclusively on Super Bowl Sunday, directly out of the oven immediately after the half-time show. Backyard camping. Mr. Fettuccine. These examples could continue for pages.
My parents made sure our childhoods were filled with countless experiences. For that I’m grateful. In fact, I’m confident this has quite a bit to do with the fact that, as an adult, I enjoy creating great experiences for my family, my friends, and my customers (or in my current position, the residents and visitors of South Bend).
It’s not the hamburger you serve. It’s not the insurance you sell. It’s not the facility you maintain or the widget you build. Sure, the basics must be in order. Like the dice, adding value will differentiate your products and make them more attractive; but just like my childhood, it’s the experiences that will be remembered. Nevertheless, the idea of creating experiences is rarely discussed in most organizations. To ignore this concept is to leave value on the table.
Disney. Apple. Starbucks. Southwest Airlines. All of these companies are masters at creating an experience. From their product packaging and customer service to their promotions and physical properties, it’s easy to see how major brands embrace the concept of experience. People mistakenly believe, however, that the “experience competency” is elusive - reserved for elite businesses, companies with large budgets, or trendy startups. The fact of the matter is, if my parents can master the art of experience, I guarantee you can as well.
What’s The Risk?
The risk here lies in doing nothing. Your customer is already experiencing your brand in one way or another. By not putting effort into consciously creating this experience, you’re missing out on major opportunities.
Perhaps you can schedule some time to do an “experience audit” with your team this summer. This could be done with a leadership group or, for varying perspectives, with inter-departmental participation. Take a tour of your facility (inside and out), navigate your website, look at your paperwork, and review your customer service protocols. Seek ways to add value to your customers. Identify opportunities for customers to experience your brand. And don’t forget, “Enjoy your summer break!”
This content was written and shared by guest blogger, Aaron Perri.
Aaron Perri works to provide quality places and experiences in the City of South Bend as the Executive Director of South Bend Venues Parks & Arts. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Aaron earned his undergraduate degree in Arts & Letters as well as a Master’s of Business Administration. Aaron is a published author, consultant, and a well-traveled speaker with extensive experience in the business development, event planning, entertainment, audio/visual, and food service industries. Most recently Aaron was the Executive Director of Downtown South Bend, Inc. where he spearheaded the city’s sesquicentennial celebration and the installation of South Bend River Lights. His passion for community is evident in his volunteer work with Center for the Homeless and numerous boards including the Century Center Board of Managers and United Way. Aaron has earned an induction into Michiana’s Forty Under 40 and the Indiana Governor’s Award for Tomorrow’s Leaders.
Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn. Connect with South Bend Venues Parks & Arts on Twitter and Facebook.
