Picture yourself on stage at the National Spelling Bee. Your palms are sweaty and you’re trying not to lock your knees so that you don’t pass out on national television. The judges are staring at you, ready to press the buzzer if you get your word wrong. You close your eyes, and all you hear is the announcer’s voice… “Your word is Lanyap.” Oh crap.
Neither my mom nor dad can spell the word. There is always an “i” or “p” either missing or in the wrong place. I can’t blame them. My wife can’t spell it, and neither can my business coach. It’s a tough word. However, once you understand the meaning, the word just sticks with you… regardless of whether or not you can spell it.
Lagniappe is a South Louisiana cajun word that means “a little something extra.” Chances are, if you’re looking at this word and saying it to yourself right now, you’re saying it with a hard “g” sound and a weird “apy” sound at the end. Am I right?
Ok, try this… “lanyap”. That’s right. No “g” sound and no more weird sounds at the end. Now that you know how to say it and spell it, let’s talk about what it means, and why it’s so important to your business success.
But what is Lanyap? It’s that little something extra. It’s a complimentary bowl of crawfish bisque with your meal. It’s an unexpected bouquet of orchids in your hotel room. It’s the third encore after the show.
Growing up in Louisiana, lanyap was everywhere. You’d see it on the sides of boats, and hear it mentioned in conversation. Not only that, but you felt it. When I would stay at a friends house, and their mom would send a wrapped up “to-go plate” of food home with me, that’s lanyap. When my family would go to our favorite local crawfish restaurant and the manager would come out, shake our hands, and know our names, that’s lanyap. These are the moments of warmth, compassion, and a feeling of family, connection and loyalty. Think I’ll go back to that crawfish place? Absolutely. Think my friend’s mother still has a warm place in my heart, even now 20 years later? Absolutely.
Know what the best part is? Lanyap is FREE. That’s right. 100% free. All it takes is approaching every single encounter with another person with this in mind. It means cultivating meaningful relationships that feel like family instead of business. The most powerful way for your business to spread is by positive word-of-mouth referrals… giving your clients that “little something extra” in every encounter. Think they’ll remember you above the other company who did “just enough”? Absolutely.