Some of you may have seen this video that I shared yesterday from Chic Fil A. For those of you who didn’t, please watch the video before reading this post. I had the pleasure of hearing Arthur Greeno of Chic Fil A present at a conference in which I also presented in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. This video is shown to every employee after two weeks of working with Chic Fil A. Amazing content and an amazing idea.

The idea of a personal story has always been “somewhat” important to the marketing world. From the 1960s to today, we have developed story lines for products that move people to buy. With the development of social tools online (Facebook, Myspace, Foursquare, Instagram) we are now getting a look into the personal lives of our customers.

Crazy isn’t it?

Many business owners and professionals may shake their heads saying, “There is no way that my customer wants me to know about their personal lives. Why would I want to know?” This can be a dangerous statement. We all want to be heard. We all want to be known. We all want to be respected.

A smile at the counter or a tool that will allow the customer to tell their side of the story is extremely important to the EXPERIENCE of the brand. Experiences sell everything and anything.

In the wise words of Paul Greenburg,

“The relationship changes from one where the customer is the object of a sale to one in which the customer is the subject of an experience that he or she controls with business.”