As I was dancing to the music having a grand time at the Coldplay concert a couple weeks ago in Seattle, I couldn’t help but notice some brilliant fan-building and profit-generating strategies that Coldplay did for their business.
Here are five things to pay attention to in your biz. Thanks Coldplay for being a brilliant example of successful business in action.
#1 – Treat it Like a Business
As a huge fan of live events, I’m amazed at the number of people it must take to make a concert happen. The security, the venue negotiation, the travel, the stage set up, the cameras, the lights, the publicity, the marketing, the radio station partnerships… this production takes hundreds of people and at least over a year of solid work.
Is Chris Martin, Coldplay’s lead singer, creating the marketing plan? Or maybe the drummer is calling venues around the world to check open dates for shows. Are you kidding me? They show up. They do their thing. They show up like it’s their party and they do what they are meant to do! They show up at the next location and do it again.
They do what they do brilliantly well and delegate the rest.
How to apply it: Are you doing what you do brilliantly? Or are you managing too many things so it’s diluting your brilliance? What do you need to delegate?
#2 – Engage with Your Audience
As I walked through the security check at the concert venue there was a guy holding these funky looking bracelets. He greeted everyone like this “Coldplay wants you to put on this bracelet because they are part of the show.” Like a good little girl, I put mine on and made sure my husband put his on. As we were waiting for the show to begin, the large monitors above the stage reminded us to do the same thing.
(The picture on the left is my actual bracelet. Yes, I saved it to show you! It was pretty brilliant too how Twitter clearly sponsored the bracelets.)
Now you have literally the entire audience putting on these bulky bracelets anticipating what will happen next. Everyone is waiting to see how THEY get to be “part of the show.”
Every bracelet was one of five colors and they lit up with the rhythm of the song. It was wayyyy cool! We got to be part of the show!
How to apply it: How can you engage with your audience and make them anticipate how they will get to be part of your show? Do your customers only interact with you during the actual transaction? Are you approachable?
One of my favorite businesses has “Dawn” personally call me every time I attend one of their events or buy one of their products. I love that personal engagement. And I love “Dawn.” She is terrific and I feel special every time I interact with their coaching company.
#3 – Personalize it.
During the songs, Chris (remember he’s the cutie lead singer) inserted “Seattle” whenever he could. You know what happened every time he did that right? The audience went wild. I even cheered a little louder and I’m not even from Seattle. He paid attention to his audience and personalized his message to that audience.
How to apply it: How are you personalizing your products or services to your customers? It can be as simple as having a mail merge personally address your emails to people’s first names. I can be sending your clients a birthday card every year. Find something that personally connects to your prospects and clients. People like to feel important. People like acknowledgment. Give that gift to your folks, it will go a long way.
#4 – Over Deliver
With the combination of the bracelets, the encore, two opening bands and a really good performance, I feel like the event exceeded my expectations. Over deliver value. Exceed expectations.
How to apply it: Where I know I get hung up on this is in my own business is I take on too much and I don’t delegate, which makes it impossible to over deliver. Can you relate? So get help. Delegate. Go the extra mile. People always remember how you made them feel. It’s the little things that count. Are you cutting corners in your business because it might be more convenient for you or your staff, but it adds an extra step for your customers? The love is in the details. Make the details count. Surprise your clients with a special acknowledgement and take the extra step.
Example: I love Costco. If you are international, Costco is an insanely huge warehouse that sells things in bulk at wholesale pricing. Only in America right? Besides, who doesn’t need a year-long supply of Q-Tips right? At the Costco near my home, the deli provides snacks you can take home. You used to be able to get your slice of pizza wrapped to go. Now they give it to me on a paper plate and point to the counter next to the soda machine and say “The tinfoil is over there if you want to wrap it to go.” Really? I liked it better when they took 30 seconds and wrapped my pizza slice for me.
#5 – Match
The cover of Coldplay’s newest album is black with accents of florescent colors. Their stage set up was the same way. Their website is the same. Chris Martin, came out on stage wearing a florescent pink t-shirt and cool jeans. Everything matched. You didn’t walk in the venue and think “Am I in the right place?”
How to apply it: Does your head shot on Facebook look like you? Or when people meet you, do they have to take a second to recognize your Photoshopped image that was taken five years ago? Do people get your email and then click on your website link and wonder if it’s the same company? If you have a physical office or store, do your customers experience the same look in your packaging, product and overall experience?
Needless to say, I love Coldplay even more.
