Has Your Business Got a Secret?

Recently, I discovered a list of secret menu items that two dozen popular chain restaurants serve only to those in the know. No joke--I devoured it! From wet fries at Arby's (hot fries in cheese sauce) to the Suicide Burger at Burger King (four patties, four cheese slices) to Fatburger's Hypocrite (a veggie burger topped with bacon), secret menu items make regular customers feel special. (Who knew Chili's will actually serve you chili on request?)

Reading the list and enjoying the creative names and items each chain had created, I realized secret menu items aren't just for fast-food places.

Any company can have secret menu items. It could be the discount you only offer subscribers to your email list, or the early release sale that only goes to previous customers. Or it's the purse you offer in a few special colors, only to your Facebook fans, the music download only your registered subscribers can hear.

As in personal relationships, sharing a secret binds people together. In business, they bind customers and companies together. The more wonderful, funny, or fun the secret is, the more exciting.

What's your secret? Are you treating your best customers to something special only they know about? Leave us a comment and let us know.