Every marketer desires brand loyalty. I see a lot of giant offers, beautiful ads, funny commercials, and eye-catching billboards. Although there is nothing wrong with that at all, it won’t foster brand loyalty. As a consumer and a marketer, I’m a big believer in the little things. The details of life are what capture my attention, memory, loyalty, and passion. I find this truth to be evident in the world of client relations and relationship building. Large, grand gestures offered to the general public from a company or a brand, are always welcome, but it won’t, from my experience, generate any loyalty. In fact, I may just wait around for the next big gesture while in the meantime, offering my passion and attention elsewhere. This is the nightmare of a brand manager or client relations manager. So, the question is how do we generate loyalty and long-term relationships? The solution is in the details.
Lets look at 2 details that we can show excellence in to create a loyalty building experience.
- Cleanliness: In a brick and mortar business, for crying out loud, keep it clean and organized. It makes the customer feel undervalued and it cheapens the perception of your product if it’s dirty and disorganized. Online, make sure your website is clean, current, and easy to navigate. 100 clicks to purchase something? Not buying. An unprofessional check out system? Not entering my credit card info. Value your customer enough to value the environment they enter.
- Care about each customer: Again, at a physical location, you should offer guided direction if the customer has a question. Don’t just point and say, “What you’re looking for is over there.” I seriously hate that. Smile. Don’t act like the customer ruined your busy day by walking into your establishment. I’ve walked out of stores for that. Treat each customer as if they are your only customer and they will become loyal. Think “Jerry Maguire.” Online? Check your response time. Do you delay if the individual isn’t a top influencer? That is very telling. Do you listen with intention? Are you actively seeking out people talking about you and finding a way to value them? Try it. You build loyalty one person at a time.
Make sure your whole team understands and shares the value of each person that comes through the door or reaches out online. We exist to offer value to their life not the other way around.
