When I was 15 years old, I was on a soccer team, and we had an indoor tournament.
The parents were asked to bake and donate the cake to the team. Cake and coffee would be then sold at the tournament to raise money for the team.
Now I loved my mom’s cake. But she did not have fancy tools to bake a cake and she did not have the experience to give it a nice, finished look. My mother baked a cake, and I asked her if she could decorate it. And she said “Don’t worry I will make it good. She smeared some jam, then put it in a plastic back and it looked terrible, but I took it to the tournament.
As the event unfolded, I couldn’t help but notice the stunning cakes brought by other team moms, adorned with intricate chocolate glaze and pearl-white icing. In contrast, my mom’s cake, hastily adorned with jam and stored in a humble plastic bag, looked far from appealing. When the cake was out of the bag, the jam was running on the sides, smeared on the plastic bag, and nothing was appealing.
I felt a little embarrassed. And I remember some of my teammates giggling. But my wife’s coach, bless her soul was very kind. She asked if I had a name for the cake and I did not. “What’s in the cake?” She asked. ” some Walnut” I replied. She called it walnut cake and placed it on the table. As the day started people started to buy cake and coffee and while they tried slices from the other cakes, no one touched my mom’s cake. A couple of hours passed by and still not a single piece sold. I was disappointed.
Then my coach’s wife decided to try a piece. I don’t know if she did it because of me, but she loved the taste.
Soon, word spread, and the once-overlooked cake became a hot commodity, with people clamouring for the recipe.
The moral of the story: never underestimate the power of presentation. Aesthetics is important. While my mom’s cake was bursting with flavour and made from natural ingredients, its initial rejection stemmed from its appearance. In business, the way you present your product or service can make or break its success. Before potential customers even try it, they’ll form judgments based on how it looks. And if it does not make an emotional connection at sight, then your potential customers, clients or consumers will walk away to the competition. So, while quality is crucial, investing in presentation can be equally impactful, ensuring that your offering captivates and connects with your audience from the moment they lay eyes on it.
