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Your business tells a story whether you tell it or not. The font you use, the colors you choose. What you say to your customers and how you say it. How you treat your employees and vendors–they all tell a story, your brand story. So, be intentional, own your story.
Take P. Terry’s, a family-owned Texas burger chain. Patrick Terry was following his childhood dream to open a classic burger stand like the one he grew up with in the small town of Abilene, Texas. His wife Kathy Terry read the book “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” by Eric Schlosser. The book exposes the fast-food industry, from the slaughterhouses and packing plants that turn out burgers, to the minimum-wage workers who cook them. While some of the issues in the book have improved in recent years, Patrick and Kathy Terry took the expose’ to heart from day one. Their focus then and today fifteen years later, is in providing quality fast food, and better service.
The burgers at P. Terry’s are fresh, all-natural, and never frozen. They come with generous portions of crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes. Their just cut Idaho potato fries are arguably the best in town. The milkshakes are thick and delish. Baked banana bread, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies, and freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice round up the menu. And P. Terry’s is proud to pay their workers above industry standard rates. On four days a year, 100% of profits go to charity. You may not know their story but if you have eaten at a P. Terry’s, you probably agree it is a wholesome experience of quality food at affordable prices. You savor small-town hospitality in the better service and simple, nourishing menu (especially if you stay away from the shakes). The futuristic 50’s architecture with upswept roofs, steel columns, and bold glass windows, captures a nostalgia for the past that projects to a positive future. The turquoise and red presence, eighteen locations in Austin and vicinity, harks small-town Texas with a big heart. And you might also agree that the tight drive-throughs and sometimes long lines are certainly worth the bother.
Patrick and Kathy Terry’s founder story is on their About page. Even if you have never read it, you can sense their story through your experience at their restaurant. Whether or not you choose to tell your story to the world, and I recommend you do, but even if you don’t, you need to tell it to yourself, so you know your story and value the role it plays in helping your customer, and giving your customer exactly what they need.
Then, your customer will sense your story as they experience your brand, and if it connects with them, they’ll come back for more.
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