Oh, You're From New Orleans? Do You Know Drew Brees?

Feeling connected to others is a basic human need. And in these tough economic times, we are even more motivated to build or strengthen bonds we have to family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. Witness the remarkable growth of Facebook and LinkedIn.

That connectedness is important in customer relationships as well. A recent article in the Journal of Consumer Research describes research where pairs of participants were given brochures for a “personal trainer” and asked for feedback. The resume of one of the trainers in each paring was altered to include their birth date, which just happened to match that of the participant. The participant who saw the altered bio was more inclined to enroll than the participant who viewed the bio without the birth date.

The implication for marketers is that anything we can do to find commonality with a customer or prospect will increase our success. Not an earth-shattering finding; in fact we’ve probably known this intuitively for quite some time. But now we have proof that finding common ground is good for business.

So, the next time your server comes to your table, look at her name tag and don't be surprised if it lists her hometown. It's a way for the restaurant to connect with you. And get you to order the pie for dessert.