Write a story about one of your customers buying and using your product. Make it as detailed as possible. Describe every step of the process, including all the sights, sounds, smells. What are they thinking throughout the story? How do they feel? What do they like and don’t like? Do they feel satisfied? Try to be as honest as possible.

After you’re done, analyze every step and see how you can enhance the experience.

Let’s try this with a local coffee shop.

On a Sunday afternoon, Ryan drops his wife off at an appointment and decides to walk around the neighborhood, looking for a place to work. He decided to walk in to this small coffee shop he’s heard good things about. He barely even noticed it. If not for the sandwich sign on the sidewalk. He walks in and sees notices a few barstool seats and one table outside. It’s a bit unorganized with empty boxes and miscellaneous equipment laying around. But it feels authentic and comfortable. The menu is simple. Pretty much the standard coffee drinks. But the one thing Ryan notices is all the equipment is new and top of the line. Various contraptions all specifically used for different types of drinks. It’s completely empty at the moment. The singular employee offers a casual but sincere welcome. It’s a hot day, so Ryan orders a Cold Brew to drink there. The employee quickly pours the drink from the tap into a branded mason jar and tops it off with a few cubes of ice. He tells Ryan he can either pay now or when he leaves. Ryan pays then and gives his change as tip. He sits down on the table outside to work and enjoy the cool drink and nice breeze. The coffee itself is a little bitter than he’d prefer but the overall setting makes up for it. As he sits, more people come by, which he can tell are regulars and just hang out for the next hour. Ryan drops off his empty glass, tells the employee thank you and walk away.

So here are some thoughts on how to apply marketing applications:

Consider more distinctive signage and/or window artwork
Identify ways to talk about how each drink is brewed, what equipment is used and why (e.g. videos, blog, social media)
Produce a piece about the different types of coffee beans used
Offer exclusive “cupping” tastings just for regulars
Create one specialty drink that regular coffee shops don’t usually offer (e.g. Coffee tonic) to feature weekly
Feature one coffee company each week and make drinks only from that company
Give all the businesses in the neighborhood a special discount card

Use the story technique to help you come up with ideas for your business.