How to Attract Customers For Life: 3 Strategies for Success
by Hannah Jones
Personal Assistant & Marketing Coordinator
The Customer Experience Advantage
Hello and welcome back to our blog series where we've been analyzing business trends and teaching you how to future-proof your organization by becoming ridiculously easy to do business with.
David Avrin, CSP, Global Speaking fellow is my boss, an expert keynote speaker and consultant who works with major brands (like RE/MAX, Johnson & Johnson, Hilton and Toyota) to strategize enhancing their customer experience, attract life-long customers and fans, and win in a competitive marketplace. Below, I've synthesized years of his expertise, published writing, and thought leadership into 3 easily-digestible strategies to attract customers for life. Think of this as a starting point. And, if it resonates, explore some of David's books on the topic.
1. It’s Not What You Want to Say. It’s What We Want to Hear.
"I spoke to a gentleman who was interested in some marketing assistance for his company that manufactured portable, solar-powered generators. These well-crafted energy devices provided quiet power in remote locations for campers, concerts, trade shows, street fairs as well as tiny houses and even so-called “Dooms-Day Preppers.” Pretty cool solar power generators to be sure.
Unfortunately, visitors to the website were bombarded with his personal crusade to save the planet. Smack dab in the middle of his Home page, he featured his mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide sustainable options to fight global warming and encourage a shift in our thinking about how we take care of our Mother Earth.
A noble cause to be sure, but what of the countless potential customers who don’t share his priorities? It’s not that people don’t care about the planet, it’s that we choose the causes that are important to us, and most, quite frankly, have other priorities including family, school, church, etc. Put another way: Our job is not to help this guy fulfill his mission."
David Avrin - Why Customers Leave (And How to Win Them Back)
Why you got into your business, your passion and purpose, is interesting to you and those that love you. Your customers generally don't care! Your customers want to know how your business is going to help them. You can wax poetic about what USB HDMI cable dongles mean to you, but all I hear is "this guy isn't thinking about me, the customer. And if he's not smart enough to know who should be the focus of his marketing, I'm not confident that he's smart enough to make a good USB HDMI cable dongle!"
2. My Call Should Be ACTUALLY Very Important to You!
The meaning of the phrase: “Your call is very important to us,” has changed over the years. Thirty years ago, it meant simply: “Your call is very important to us.” Today it means: “Blah, blah, blah. Go to hell. Blah, blah, blah.”
When your recorded on-hold message tells us over and over that “your call is very important us,” we hear something different each time you say it.
The first time we hear: “We are talking to another customer. We’ll get to you when we are done.”
The second time: “I honestly have no idea how long this other person will take. Hang on if you want. We don’t really care.”
The third time: “It’s pretty clear we had budget cuts and we are significantly understaffed. I know you’re getting angry and will probably take it out on me. What do you want me to do?? I’m underpaid as it is!”
David Avrin - Why Customers Leave (And How to Win Them Back)
If you've heard David speak, or followed him for any time at all, you know that he has taken up the flag of the grassroots, militant resistance to chatbots, phone recording messages, and any AI communication systems. And if you skim the messaging, it might feel redundant. But I encourage you to look deeper into why the voice recording on your customer service message system represents a greater trend in business; where there was once humanity, there is now impersonal technology. At the point of the customer journey where compassion, nuance, and complex problem-solving skills most come into play, you've given us a robot. We know exactly what you're trying to tell us, and we hear it loud and clear. Our call is not deserving of the skill sets that you hire and pay well. Our call is not pressing enough to warrant human intelligence. Our call is NOT important to you.
3. Don’t Treat Me Like You Want to Be Treated
The primary reason why most people in business don’t know how to deliver a great customer experience is they’ve rarely experienced it for themselves. We generally engage in reasonable transactions and sporadically deliver good service. But the experiences that are worth repeating and worth sharing are few and far between because we train merely for the transaction and strong service delivery. To actually delight and connect with a customer requires a deeper understanding of them and few companies know how to do that well.
This is more than merely being understanding and “of-service.” For many businesses, this is a matter of survival. Especially when it comes to frustrated customers, how you resolve problems can be a make-or-break for your company.
My father used to caution us to be mindful in gift-giving. He would say that most people buy gifts for others that they would like to receive themselves, rather than what the other would want. That of course, is true in romantic relationships as well. Pity the hapless husband who buys his wife a tool or electronic gadget that he wants for her birthday or mothers day. Smart people buy their loved ones what they know they would want. It is the same in business. Give them the service that they they want — not the way that you would want it.
David Avrin - Why Customers Leave (And How to Win Them Back)
Understand the difference between your concerns and your customers' concerns, and make sure your employees do as well. Identify the common pitfalls, the differences in motivation at play. And make sure your employees feel safe, supported, and well-equipped in their ability to truly serve your customers, not just to carry out the explicitly communicated company policies.
Consider these three strategies a starting point in your journey to bolster your company's customer experience. And peruse the other resources available on David's website and blog, because as we move forward in a rapidly changing business landscape, the winners in business will be those that establish a brand reputation built on trust, loyalty, and a great customer experience.