Five Business Lessons I Learned From Ice Cream

It was Wednesday. Eric came home and told me that he stopped at Carvel on his way home from work. I immediately said, “Wednesday is sundae at Carvel.” (Every Wednesday Carvel runs a special, two sundaes for the price of one) What surprised me is what he said next. He told me that when he stopped at Carvel he was going to get a milkshake but when he walked into the store the woman behind the counter (who knows him) said “Two sundaes coming up,” and he just went with it.

So why am I telling you about Eric’s ice cream eating habits ? Because as I thought about it I identified six key lessons you can learn about yourself and your business.

1. Eric walked into Carvel with one idea in mind and the storeowner told him to do something else. Lesson: Your customer trusts you to help them make the right decisions. How can you help your clients identify what you, as the expert, know is right for them?

2. Wednesday is sundae at Carvel and it is what made Eric think about ice cream. This is a special they’ve been offering for years. It draws people in whether or not they want sundaes. Lesson: What offer can you run, on a regular basis, that will regularly bring in customers and you can get known for?

3. Eric walked in wanting one thing and walked out with another. Lesson: How do you make decisions and do you stand up for your decision once you’ve made it? Are you swayed to do other things? What tends to make you change your mind? Do you always trust others or do you trust yourself?

4. Wednesday is sundae at Carvel and many people who go on Wednesdays do so to save money. On this particular Wednesday Eric wasn’t driven by money, he had decided initially on a milkshake. Lesson: What drives your money decisions? Do you consider the price of what you are buying or do you just get what you want or need without worrying about the price?

5. Eric went into Carvel on a Wednesday. Granted he was not planning on getting a sundae but he thought about ice cream and decided to get it because it was Wednesday. Lesson: What drives the timing of your buying decisions? Do you wait for a sale? Do you buy something just because you want or need it regardless of the price?

6. Eric ate ice cream. It’s true that he has a teenager’s metabolism but it’s still not a very healthy decision. Lesson: Do you do things that you know you shouldn’t be doing just because the opportunity or the offer is there?

What lessons can you learn from Eric’s ice cream habits ?