Blog
How Did You Make Your Customers Feel?
August 17th, 2009 by Todd Schnick
Cartoon by @gapingvoid
- What are you doing – with every decision and action – to make your customers have a wow experience?
- What was it about their experience with you that was and is memorable? Do you know what you want to your customers to feel?
- Will they tell people in their circle about you?
- And if so, what will be the story they talk about?
- Are your employees EMPOWERED to make the customer experience one to remember?
25 Steps To Fortify Your Customer’s Brand Relationship With You…
August 11th, 2009 by Todd Schnick
I am asked every day whether a person should build a brand around themselves personally, or around their business. That question, without knowing the bigger picture, is difficult to answer.
But, to be honest, I generally lean towards building a desired brand identity and positioning around YOU. People like to buy from someone they know, trust, and have a good relationship with. Obviously, this is more difficult if you are part of a larger organization…
What you MUST understand is this: you can’t simply create a “brand” out of thin air. You have to earn it. And the market determines what your brand is, because of the reputation you have earned in achieving it. You can say you are the “customer service” company, but if your customer service is poor, the market place will determine otherwise.
That said, here are a few ideas on things you can do to help strengthen the relationship your market, your customers, and your prospects – have with your brand:
- Be honest. Always.
- Do what you promise. Always.
- Think about your customers first. With every decision. I mean every decision.
- Have all stakeholders in your organization bought into the same, consistent organizational message.
- And then deliver that message consistently.
- Think service first, selling second.
- Live your positioning. If you say you are a green company, be green.
- Give back to the community.
- Be yourself.
- Admit fault. And seek to fix it.
- Focus on the little things. They matter…
- Strive to be perfect in every way. From big picture stuff to the mundane…
- Be intrepid. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Don’t play it safe.
- Don’t embrace the status quo. You will die a slow death…
- Seek to stand out. Make it easy for people to distinguish you.
- But make it easy for people to know you.
- Be accessible. Communicate well.
- When using social media, truly engage with people.
- Listen.
- Live up to expectations.
- Be sure your marketing tells a story…
- …And pushes emotional buttons.
- Provide a strong pre-purchase customer experience…
- …but don’t forget the post-purchase experience.
- Does your product or service deliver on what you promise?
You can make a choice to do nothing, and let the branding chips fall where they may. Or you can choose to earn your brand, and make the choice to strengthen your customer’s brand relationship.
What will you choose? And what other ideas can you share?
