Last night my wife and I paid $80 to listen to four guys banging on plastic tubs - and we would have paid more. Why? Because the experience was so damn good.
"Recycled Percussion" is four guys from New Hampshire who pound the heck out of "found" objects in a super high energy show. Their equipment is plastic tubs, paint buckets, old pieces of pipe, metal ladders, metal chairs, their mouths and bodies, and about ten miles of duct tape. Only their drumsticks were store bought - the rest is recycled junk. And yet these guys put on a better customer experience than most of the high-tech, high cost rock bands touring nowadays. I think that's because of five ideas - ideas you can probably apply to your business.
- Use what you have. You don't have to buy the most expensive stuff to create an electric experience for your customers. You might delight them even more if you create magic from "junk." These guys sure do.
- Whatever you do, do it well. These guys get away with pounding on trash because they do it better than most - maybe better than anybody. Are you doing what you do better than anyone else?
- Whatever you do, do it together. These guys are tightly linked throughout their show. Even after the show, selling their DVDs and signing autographs, they were a team. For my money, tight teams always trump brilliant loners when you are trying to create a magic customer experience. Are you working as a team, or as a bunch of brilliant loners?
- Whatever you do, do it with passion and fun. We saw the second of two shows on Sunday. These guys usually only do one show a day, because it takes so much of their energy. You never would have known this was show number two - all four were smiling, joking, and obviously having a blast on stage. Do you love what you do? Does your team? Does it show?
- Make the customer part of the show. Let your customers in on the show. In big ways and in little ways, these four brought us onto the stage (figuratively) all through the show. How can you let your customers be part of the show?
[You can learn more about the group here.]
