In our culture, most holidays are commercialized so much that we don’t even remember the origins or meaning of what the day represents. Halloween may just be one such holiday. Historically, October 31 is the eve of ‘All Hallows Day’ also known as All Saint’s Day a time dedicated to remembering the dead, saints and martyrs. According to scholars, Halloween or Hallow’s eve was a feast and festival.
In U.S. culture, Halloween is a holiday that most people associate with pumpkins, costume parties, pranks, scary movies and trick-or-treating. I am always amazed by just how much the traditions of Halloween consume people every year. So I began thinking about how Halloween traditions can be compared in business practice and came up with a short list of what I have learned about Halloween and how to apply it to my business. Maybe something from this list will resonate with you too.
The Best Outcome Involves Planning
One of the biggest traditions of Halloween is trick-or-treating. However, in order to get the most treats (candy) you have to plan your route including the areas and neighborhoods you want to visit. I remember being a kid and always making a mental note of the houses that gave the best candy in my neighborhood.
It’s the same way in your business, in order to succeed, you will need to plan. You must plan the areas you are going to target and make certain to find out where your ideal clients hang out and what group of people are going to give you the best results.
Trick versus Treat
For most of us, if we had to pick trick versus treat, we would choose treat. After all, who likes to be tricked? No matter what it is, we want to be pleasantly surprised and feeling “treated well” when we are spending money or investing in something. Your customers want the same thing. Whatever you promised them is absolutely what you should deliver.
Remember to always remain true to your brand identity and promise. Make sure that the experience your customers have with you, your company and your brand are exactly what you promise them. If you handle your brand with care, your customers will always feel like it is a treat to do business with you.
Image is everything, really it is.
Halloween is a time when children get to dress up and appear as their favorite cartoon character, celebrity or something unique. Over the years, I’ve seen some pretty interesting costumes that made me emotional, sparking laughter, fear and even concern. The best costumes always get your attention. Inevitably, when I greet trick-or-treaters at my door, I’m always compelled to give more candy to the kid with the best costume. How does this relate to your business? Think of the Halloween costume like your image. Image is about perception. The image that your business has in the marketplace will either help or hurt you. It is always a good idea to survey your customers on a regular basis to find out their opinions and feedback of your company, products and services.
It’s O.K. to Celebrate.
Most people love a good party. If you haven’t been to good Halloween party, you don’t know what you’re missing! I’ve been to some awesome Halloween parties with great decorations and lots of people excited to be adorned in all types of wicked, creative and intriguing costumes enjoying colorful foods and great music. What can the celebration of the Halloween season teach you in business? It’s OK to celebrate. Celebrate everything! You can celebrate a new client, a new product, a new service, a new event, a new award or a new employee. Think of interesting ways to celebrate, that don’t necessarily involve you throwing a party. You may create the customer of month or employee of the month program and post pictures on your website. Most people love being celebrated. Your customers and employees would definitely appreciate an on-line party in their honor. Of course, if your company has achieved a big milestone; for example 5, 10 or 20 years in business, that’s cause for a big party of course. The most important thing to remember is celebration is easy to do and certainly lifts everyone’s spirits.
As you can see, there is a lot we can learn from Halloween and the traditions surrounding this holiday. How about you? What’s your two cents? What Halloween tradition can you utilize to spark some ideas in your business? Share your comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
Your assignment: Write down how you can use a Halloween tradition to create more exposure or generate sales for your business.
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