A small, independently-owned dry cleaner in Portland, Oregon posted a sign outside of their storefront that garnered international media attention and local pride. It read:

“If you are unemployed and need an outfit clean for an interview, we will clean it for FREE.”

A movie theatre in Austin, Texas, called the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, shot to brand infamy after they kicked a texting teen out of their theatre. After all, one of their rules is: “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards talking and texting during the movie. If you talk or text, you will receive one warning. If it happens again, you will be kicked out without a refund.”

Both of these companies stand for more than what they sell.

Create an emotional bond, not a transaction.

Your convictions as a company are as important a foundation to your brand as the products or services you sell.

Why? Because with a plethora of choices at their fingertips, your prospective customers often choose to buy into companies that align with their values.

Values elevate your company from transactional to transformational.

So, if you want your customers to stop fixating on price, build your brand around a rallying cry…a set of beliefs…your guiding principle.

That Portland dry cleaner believes that everyone, especially those who fall into unfortunate times, deserve to look presentable.

Alamo Drafthouse believes that a theatre is for watching movies…without distraction.

And you know what happened?

Like moths to a flame, customers who shared their sentiments flocked to their business.

Build a community, not just sales.

Something utterly magical happens when you stop acting like a business and start operating like a business with a heart.

The bricks and mortar come crumbling down. The curtains are pulled back. And all of a sudden, you are seen as real human beings…not a corporation.

People like to do business with other people.

People like to reward businesses that share their mindset. And, there’s a sense of pride we have when we align with a business that shares our values.

It’s time to get sticky.

When like-minded people and companies rub together things get sticky…in a good way. Bonds are formed and customers willingly sing your praises with delight to anyone who will listen.

It’s time to re-think business as usual and replace profit-centric businesses with value-centric businesses.

After all, a competitor can echo your pricing strategy, they can knock off your work, they can pinch your people, but they can’t steal your heart.