While visiting Yosemite National Park recently, I came upon this poster in a hallway at The Yosemite Lodge. It is a quote by Stephen Mather, the first director of the national park service and the man responsible for originally bringing visitors to Yosemite. The sentence stunned me in its timeless simplicity. It made me think of the concept of Occam’s razor, a problem-solving principle that states: “That among competing hypotheses that predict equally well, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.” In other words, the simpler the better.
Could anything be simpler than Mr. Mather’s 6-word explanation of business? It includes sales, marketing, operations, memory making, and connecting both staff and customers to something bigger than themselves. It was more than a slogan; it was a call to action.
With all the changes that have taken place in the last 100 years, this simple slogan is relevant and profound. Without customers there is no business. “Get them in” is the first step, but once they are there, “Make them happy.”
In the hospitality business, the best way I know to make guests happy is to connect with their emotional needs and cravings. Travelers want to experience something special they can share with others. When staff and customers are aligned with a purpose higher than getting through the day, the idea of happiness, if only for a few moments, is a possibility for everyone.
How could you take this slogan used in America’s most treasured national resource and apply it to your own business?