Standing out from the crowd is the aim of every business – big, small or solopreneur.  It means you are more likely to be noticed and then remembered.  Operating differently from the way your industry normally works can be hard.  Recently I saw an excellent example of standing out from the crowd at Stansted Airport.

I had got through security relatively quickly and knew I had time for a meal before boarding my no-frills flight to France.   I walked round the concourse weighing up what was on offer.

How others conform to what is “normal”

There were long queues, a sense of overcrowding with little space to sit at tables, and lots of options to order online, and then wait to collect your meal.

None of these appealed to me.  I knew the flight would be crowded and cramped and that I would prefer a healthy meal rather than a snack. I had slightly more time than anticipated so walked around weighing up my options.

One restaurant caught my attention in a dramatic way

Then I passed Comptoir Libanese and could hardly believe my eyes. The décor was so colourful, joyful, and abundant that it looked nothing like any of the other options. There was plenty of comfortable seating and lots of space.

I had eaten at Comptoir Libanese on Oxford Street once before and loved the exuberance (and the silver teapots!). After checking the menu I found I could get a hot meal for a reasonable price.

So in I went!

Added personal experience which made it more memorable

The meal was good, and nutritionally balanced which would keep my energy stable during the flight. The unexpected bonus was that the waitress service was friendly, and they were all happy to talk. This was a big contrast to the pick up delivery methods used elsewhere. 

A guest on a neighbouring table had such a good conversation that I became included as well. We ended up having an extremely interesting conversation which I have never done while eating at Stansted before.I am sure the environment and the business strategy to encourage friendliness with the serving team made my visit more memorable.

While I loved the experience, there are many people who would not choose it for their own reasons.

Standing out by being different and going against what is normal can be the trigger to gain attention. But it is by knowing and communicating values that the right customers will remember you and stay.