1) The granola bar at Whole Foods in Dedham;
2) The Maryland rub chicken wings at Pizzings in Marshfield;
3) The service department at Dave Delaney’s Columbia GMC Buick in Hanover;
4) The flowers (to send as gifts) at Awesome Blossom in Pembroke;
5) My travel agent, Paula Killion of the Travel Center in Holbrook.
I know, ‘big deal.’ Well actually it is a big deal because, with the exception of Whole Foods, none of the above are located within 10 miles of me while several of their competitors are. But who gets the business from me? The one who serves me so well that I consider it to be worth my time to get in my car and travel to those businesses to enjoy their high quality products or services. Price is not that important when the service is that good. In the case of Paula Killion, my travel agent, I not only get outstanding service, but I usually get it at a price that beats 
what you pay online (Yes, you are paying more to screw around on the Internet for your travel, particularly when an experienced travel agent with the right relationships gets better pricing).
I’m going to keep the message of this post simple by asking a few questions:
Do you have customers who are FANS of your business? Do they come to only you? Do they trumpet to others the joy and happiness you bring to them by serving them?
If you don’t have fans, you should. And if you don’t, it means you need to do something to start earning fans. A lack of fans is a sure sign that you have a business with huge potential. If you have fans, you need to figure out how to get them singing your praises. We’re going to expand on this in further posts but for now really think about the fans or lack thereof for your business. And let’s get to do something about it.