The Secret of Lifelong Customers

Secret #1 to creating a successful company. YOUR CUSTOMERS.

I want you to think for a minute about your favorite shop, store or service and see if they meet a couple of the basic human needs listed below

1. Connection\Love - Does this company make you feel connected to them?

2. Certainty- Does this company make you feel certain about their product service or customer experience?

3.Uncertainty- Does this company give you surprises or offer new services? (hopefully good surprises :)

4. Significance- Does this company make you feel special? (Executive membership, club or group)

5. Growth- Does this company help you grow? As a person, in wealth, in person or professional status?

6. Contribution- Does this company allow you to contribute? By giving back or helping others?

(These are from Tony Robbins)

I bet you can identify at least three or four out of the six needs being met by your favorite company\Store\Service. 

Now how can you use this information to create fans of your company? Use your imagination.

Ideas around connection and love- Do you communicate with your customers on a professional and personal basis. Are you interested in what your customers desperately want to tell you about their experience with your product? Do you include them in your planning sessions or trade shows, monthly news letters?

Ideas for Certainty- Do you deliver what you promised? Are youOr even better over deliver and give more than is expected? Better yet do you answer the phone when they call? Or do you call them on a regular basis?

Ideas for Uncertainty- When is the last time you sent your customer something for Free? Maybe it is not even a thing maybe you send them some custom training you developed and share with them online. Maybe it is a thank you award (think nice award they would put in their office). This is the best kind of advertising out there.

Ideas for significants- When is the last time you made your customer feel special? Called them up, or sent them an e-mail about how important they are not just to your company but to their industry in general. Invite them to talk with your executive team about what they like about your company and more importantly what you can do as a company to improve.

Ideas for growth- How is your customer growing from using your product? Are they learning how to make their jobs easier? Are they able to take the knowledge you give them and use it to get a higher position within their company or a skill they can put on a resume for a position at another company?

Ideas for contribution- How is your customer using your product that allows them to feel a sense of contribution? Is your product helping your customers help their customers? Do they feel like being a customer of yours is like being part of something bigger than themselves?

These are just a few ideas that I am sure if you ask the questions of your company you can find ways to not only keep you current customers but to create raving fan customers that will bring in more great customers.

I hope everyone that reads this applies this information to your customers today, or they maybe someone else's customers tomorrow.

Namaste

Kevin