When Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart made the now legendary statement regarding pornography, “I know it when I see it,” it declared something that is also the case with the principle of engagement. We can’t always define what makes something engaging, but we typically know it when we see it.
Gurus expound on the merits and attributes of what make something go viral, but the truth is, things go viral sometimes for no apparent reason except that they are engaging. Things that are engaging inherently capture our attention and hold it for some period of time. Sometimes things that are engaging are humorous, e.g. the “Charlie bit me” YouTube video. Other times, we find things to be engaging that are intellectually stimulating or thought-provoking or visually-striking. Sometimes a person’s voice or accent can be captivatingly engaging. Sometimes it’s as simple as beauty that captivates us. Nothing creates engagement like the unexpected. When Western Pacific pilots cracked jokes related to the boring, repetitive safety instructions, they had everyone’s attention… and when they banked left so that passengers could see the beautiful attractions below, to be sure, everyone on the plane was engaged.
Start engaging with the right customers. Explore the Inbound Customer Experience.
In order to create an ACE, you need to explore ways to captivate and engage your customers and prospects. Occasionally providing an unexpected perk along the way is a great way to capture their attention.