Are you ready to discover your competitive advantage in the business world? It’s all about fostering customer affection. The principle is straightforward: cease selling and begin building connections with your clients.
Moving past mere transactions is what sustains your business. As analyzed by LendingTree from data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “20.8% of private sector businesses in the U.S. fail within the first year.” By the ten-year mark, just over 65% of businesses have ceased operations. I am proud to be part of the minority, with more than 20 years of experience as a speaker, author, and coach under my belt. Before launching my own endeavors, I dedicated many years to the hospitality industry, including a position at the Disney Institute, which instilled in me a profound respect for exceptional customer service. My journey as a solopreneur has only reinforced my conviction that relationships serve as the currency of professional achievement.
Transforming introductions into opportunities and fleeting moments into lasting memories can lead to lifelong clients.
Remarkable experiences enhance customers’ perceptions of your brand and bolster customer loyalty. I firmly believe that now is the most exciting time in history to elevate your business. I challenge you to view your interactions as connect-the-dot experiences that entice customers to choose you over the impersonal customer service they may encounter with larger, more powerful rivals.
To genuinely engage with your customers and craft the optimal service experience for them, delve into three pivotal questions:
- What kind of experience does your business, brand, or service offer?
- Are your client relationships meaningful or focused solely on financial gain?
- Where can you create an exceptional experience that surpasses expectations?
Once you have thoroughly explored these questions, you can begin connecting with individuals, leaving a positive emotional mark on your customers, and extending genuine effort without expecting anything in return.
Ways to Forge Connections with Your Customers
There are several principles I embraced early in my career that continue to benefit me within my own business today. I’m confident you’ll find them useful, whether you’re involved in real estate, working as an independent marketer, or seeking support from true believers for your startup.
1. Treat Customers as Guests.
Offer a warm and welcoming greeting to each person you encounter, thereby cultivating a customer-centric atmosphere.
Action tip: Make it a point to use your customer’s name whenever feasible; if you’re unsure, simply ask.
2. Tailor the Experience to Establish Connections with Customers.
Be ready to customize how you create those golden service moments. This can be achieved in various types of businesses. Once, an Uber driver took me to the airport in Columbia, South Carolina, and made a point of inquiring about my experience. He swiftly provided an extensive list of vetted recommendations on local eateries, scenic attractions, and other hidden gems to explore should I ever decide to return. That gentleman left a lasting impression long after we parted ways. He was adept at fostering a desire for return visits. That right there exemplifies customer love.
Even if your interactions with customers primarily occur online, rather than in person, it’s essential to create an exceptional customer experience. David Crystal, an esteemed linguist, writes in his book, The Stories of English, about how modern technology has impacted language. He discusses how email, chatrooms, and other communication mediums have embraced “netspeak,” significantly altering our language interactions.
Despite the digital era enabling global communication and collaboration, the abbreviated terms of “netspeak” can quickly lead to misunderstandings and disconnections during those exchanges. Keep this in mind, especially when responding to customer inquiries or reviews on social media platforms.
3. Predict and Identify Customer Needs.
Achieving success in the modern competitive landscape relies heavily on the ability to anticipate and comprehend customer behavior. Only by understanding what your brand’s patrons desire can you effectively tailor solutions to meet their requirements.
A prime example of this was highlighted in a presentation by David Packles, the former senior director of product at Peloton Interactive, during Amplify 2020. I had the opportunity to speak at a virtual event for Amplitude and discovered how Peloton successfully harnessed the behaviors of its most engaged users. They devised a framework to leverage emergent activities: “observe behaviors, validate them with various personas, and learn from experimenting,” according to an article from Amplitude discussing Packles’ speech. Such emergent behaviors are often referred to as “usage patterns or ‘hacks’ that organically manifest within a highly engaged group of users.”
Peloton posed two critical questions: “How are our most engaged users utilizing our product?” and “How might we adapt these behaviors to make them relevant for a broader audience?”
How could you pose analogous questions in relation to your brand or business?
4. Provide Swift and Suitable Responses to Service Needs.
Adopt a proactive stance in refining your customer experience and address issues in a manner that reflects your commitment to customer love. If you are unable to uphold your promises to clients, engage with them promptly to set realistic expectations. Data from a PwC survey revealed that 37% of respondents would cease making purchases from a business following a “bad experience with products/services,” and 32% would stop doing business with a company that offered “poor customer service.”
5. Foster Connections and Loyalty through Acts of Kindness.
Surprise serves as a formidable emotion. By delighting your customers, you reinforce their loyalty and establish profound connections to your brand.
The ethos of customer love revolves around recognizing the significance of spontaneous acts of kindness—determining where you can exceed expectations by going the extra mile rather than just the extra inch. Embracing customer love means treating your current and prospective clients as guests, personalizing their experiences, understanding their needs, and responding with appropriate urgency, all while engaging in spontaneous acts of kindness.
As you move forward, consider taking the time to Observe, Assist, Empower, and Appreciate your clients and customers.
Observe your clients for who they truly are, rather than who you assume they are or who you wish them to be. Notice the language they use, the questions they pose, and what motivates or inspires them.
Assist those you interact with from their current standpoint, not merely for personal gain. If your default approach is to initiate relationships you deem advantageous, be mindful of the opportunities and valuable connections you may overlook due to professional arrogance.
Empower them with hope. Equip and inspire your brand’s guests with the tools to realize their potential and derive maximum benefit from their endeavors or aspirations.
Appreciate them for the value they contribute and the impact they create. Never underestimate the influence of recognizing others for even the smallest contributions. By empowering your customers, you pave the way for business success.
