The best brands know how to establish an emotional connection with you even before you are ready to buy. Sometimes even years before. I can remember when I was a kid and he surprised me with a McDonald’s birthday party. I remember it like it was yesterday.

My aunt, sister and I were following our usual Sunday routine, we had just come home from church and were waiting at the bus stop to go home. The bus stop was across the street from a McDonald’s, and since the bus wasn’t coming, my aunt suggested we go to McDonald’s to buy some food. What kid wouldn’t love that (obviously this was long before my vegetarian life)?

When I got to McDonald’s, a purchasing decision that I thought was completely random, I was greeted with a roomful of (okay, maybe a handful) of my friends. It was great. I’m pretty sure I had a happy meal. What a fitting name, huh?

Fast forward years later, while I was in high school looking for a part-time job. Guess where I went? Yes, McDonald’s, and I was hired on the spot. I was so honored. I ran home bouncing around and said to my mom “They hired me on the spot! How about that!” and she laughed and said, “I’ve never seen someone so happy working for $ 3.35 an hour,” but for me, it was the super giant McDonald’s and they chose me.

The corporate heads of McDonald’s and many other big-name chains know that emotional connection to a brand is best done early on, before it’s necessary. The same happened with my motorcycle. I learned to ride a motorcycle in college in 1989. It took me about 2-3 weeks and I passed the test and received my permit, but I never got my license because I had to get my driver’s license first. Strange how I think about it now. Anyway, I learned to ride Suzuki.

When I was finally ready to buy my own bike, just a few years ago, what do you think I chose? Yes, I have Suzuki. I wanted to relive the experience I had in college. When my college course finished, I received brochures and discount coupons and special stickers from the Suzuki dealer, but I didn’t have the funds while in college to buy a bike.

To compensate, I made sure I had lots of friends to ride with, and rode with them for years and years … on the back of the bike. Finally … a long, long, long time later, I decided it was time to make one of my own, and I did. The bike I chose was a 1981 Suzuki GS250T, almost exactly like the bike I learned from. Why? Branding damn it! Suzuki left a lasting impression on me (sorry Harley), so naturally when I was ready to take the first step I thought of them.

Here are some key questions you can ask yourself so that you too can find the best way to provide an emotional experience for your client:

1) What emotional experiences do people have with your brand?

2) What can you do in the “pre-need process” to introduce yourself to future clients?

3) What memories can you create after the customer experience (to extend it)?

4) What are the nuances of what it “sells”, ie safety, support, protection, understanding, fun, and so on. Every brand has an obvious trait and a hidden trait, the underlying reason why they buy.

5) What technology can you use to expand your emotional reach beyond your region?

If you can focus on just 2 of the questions above, you will undoubtedly move your brand towards a stronger emotional bond, thereby attracting more visibility and opportunities for your company.