I received an email the other day from a company letting me know my order had shipped. The message came from “customerlove@blahblahblah.com.”
Not “info,” not “orders,” but “customer love.”
That made me feel special. For two reasons: It always makes me happy to know when my package was shipped and when I can expect it. It also made me feel good that they care enough to create an email address called “customer love.”
It prompted me to think about my sales teams that are prospecting and managing accounts. Do customers know that you love them?
We are in a time that can be labeled, “The experience economy” in that buying power is driven by searching for unique experiences (online research), sharing experiences (reviews) and scaling customized experiences (tech and AI).
From being a prospect to a repeat customer, some of the best ways I’ve been shown “customer love” have stuck with me over the years and I’ve used them in my practice as well as with my sales teams.
Here are 3 excellent ways to LOVE your customers and prospects:
Show them what’s next. Knowing what’s next or what to expect in a process makes us feel comfortable, at ease, and safe. If a purchase has some attached anxiety due to consequences, budget, or time, helping people understand what comes next is a great way to help them feel love. This is especially helpful in engaging the pleasure center of our brain in bringing about little hits of dopamine that reassure us we made a great decision or give us some pleasure in thinking about our purchase or its arrival.
This also works for prospects, letting them know you’re going to call them next or you’re going to email them or what’s next in your process that will help them through their process.
Highlight your customers. Make them the heroes of your stories. Tell their stories for them. Help them get customers. Let them show off and shine. It’s a great way to create testimonials but also helps them feel special and gives them another platform to showcase their own products and services.
Showing you care about their business is critical to building loyal, lasting relationships. When they see themselves on your website, your social media, or are invited to speak about their experiences at conferences and events, you get the benefit of that 3rd party validation and they reaffirm to the world – why they chose you.
Share your company culture. Just as we spend the majority of our adult lives at work, as service or product providers, we spend the majority of our time around customers. They can participate in your company’s culture brewing activities: community service or volunteering together, community outings, celebrations, big announcements, team building activities, sales trips, hiring blitzes, cooking contests, fundraisers, potluck meals, et cetera.
Some of my most enduring relationships came from clients that became friends when we worked together for a cause or went on a cruise together. Those shared experiences were something solid to draw upon when we made mistakes, increased prices, or had to have difficult conversations.
There are LOTS of ways to show you care from an individual contributor level: Donate to a charity in their name. Join them in their culture building events or community service. Create a piece of artwork for their walls. Give them a shout out on social media or 5 stars on Google. Have personal conversations (yes, sometimes you can go there) and share your therapist’s phone number. Gift them a massage after a stressful tax season. Refer them awesome employees. Play on their sports team. Bring them breakfast. Surprise them with flowers.
Customer love is more than appreciating that your customers help you make quota or put commission dollars in your wallet.
Customer love is about caring deeply that the people you encounter have positive, fulfilling experiences throughout their journey and life cycle with you and your business.
I’m inspired to go through my sales process and think about my clients to show them more love. It’s easy to get complacent or transactional with existing clients and spend all your “woo-ing” on prospects.
Comment below to share how you show your customers you care!
Until next time, stop hoping and start SELLING!
-sks
