“Sit back, relax and enjoy your flight!”

Those are the seven most meaningless words you’ll ever hear when flying.

It’s next to impossible to enjoy anything when your straight-jacketed into a flying aluminum tube for hours upon hours. And I don’t know about you, but I find nothing makes the time fly by (pun fully intended) when you’re this damn uncomfortable.

But my recent Qantas flight from L.A. to New Zealand was just a wee bit more enjoyable than most.

Here’s why: Qantas international flights have a free in-flight entertainment system on the back of every seat that allows you to access a surprisingly large selection of movies, television programs, songs, audio books and video games. A wonderful distraction for the bored marketing consultant and screaming kid alike – providing a high degree of Personal Experience Factor for every passenger on board.

Your Personal Experience Factor is the degree to which you delight your customers with:

• Availability of products and services
• Aisle width
• Cleanliness of the lobby or showroom
• Helpfulness and expertise of your staff
• Convenient return policies, etc.

But heads up: Most business owners believe they’re providing a much better Personal Experience Factor than reality dictates. (For example, Qantas could provide me with end-to-end delight with a free in-flight power supply and Wi-Fi.)

And too many business owner’s falsely assume that advertising will convert browsers into customers – an undertaking that takes more than words. At best, advertising can only bring people through your door. What happens next – your Personal Experience Factor – ultimately determines if you’ll make the sale and gain repeat customers.

Contact me if you need help elevating your Personal Experience Factor.