Retaining customers is one thing. Creating loyal ones is another. Now more than ever it is important to get your customers engaged with your brand and become strong advocates of your product and service. Especially in this economy, buyers are more wary about discretionary spend. Fear and doubt rule the airwaves and so the onus is on marketers to help move the needle on sales efforts by demonstrating value and trust at every touch point.
As you reevaluate your plans for the second half of the year, I urge you to go back to the basics. Undoubtedly, your company is focused on growth an expansion and therefore, fine-tuning your message is hard work especially as your company strives to achieve “more.” Whether it be more money, more products, more opportunity, more clients, or even more respect, oftentimes growing organizations lose the essence of what put them on the path to growth and influence in the first place – their customers. When they do – marketing has to take a step back, stop talking and start listening.
I think it’s safe to say that pretty much every business started with one customer and an initial contract. In those early days, these transactions took place on a 1-2-1 basis. You responded personally to a customer inquiry. You listened intently to their feedback and you went above and beyond the call of duty to provide them with excellent service.
That was the customer experience – one built on trust, partnership and mutual understanding. It was a dance between two people and as your relationship grew stronger your circle of friends expanded. That one customer grew into a handful of supporters and because you provided a great customer experience. These were exciting times full of opportunity. The world was your oyster, you just needed to forage the sea.
Now you’ve amassed a number or oysters and unearthed precious pearls. Its been some time and now you are wondering why your customers don’t love you as much anymore. What happened to that tight network of friends, the calls you used to share, the debates you used to have, the support you provided each other?
In the quest to achieve more, you’ve changed. You no longer have time for those intimate interactions and therefore you’ve grown apart from your customers. But its never too late to reconnect. As you strive to be more things to more people, don’t forget your humble beginnings. Take a walk down memory lane to figure out what made your customers take a chance on you in the first place. Reminisce on the good times and focus on the tactics that made the sparks fly. Then explore ways to apply them to a wider audience. Make sure you show your appreciation and encourage two way conversations. You can certainly do this effectively with email, but don’t be afraid to pick up the phone by developing a calling program. Words have so much more meaning when there is sound involved, don’t you think. How can you dance without the music? You can have a personal relationship with all of your customers. You just have to work at it!
