Dare To Be Different

Stressing the customer experience rather than features and benefits of a product or service may sound odd, but it's just an extension of recent trends focusing on quality and customer service, says Schmitt. It's natural to wonder whether this trend will take on a life of its own like quality and service did, and if experience will eventually be seen as more important than the product or service itself.

If so, say some experts, that won't be a bad thing. In fact, argues Pine, companies that make the most of their customer experience will actually charge for the experience, much as producers of theatrical performances and sporting events sell admission tickets. They may even throw in the product or service for free in exchange for buying the experience.

For now, though, even experience-oriented entrepreneurs are generally content to merely add a dollop of experience to an otherwise quality offering. It doesn't cost a lot, but it makes companies of any size stand out.

For Shonfeld, turning the process of buying from him into an experience has made all the difference. "We call it the selling experience," he says. "The sale is basically the last point, not the first. That's what everybody else does."

Contact Sources

Experience Engineering, (612) 942-8880, eemail@expeng.com

Shonfeld's USA Inc., (201) 883-0100, fax: (201) 883-0017

Strategic Horizons LLP, (330) 995-4680, pine&gilmore@customization.com

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This article was originally published in the September 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Dare To Be Different.