Tales from the Crypt of Online Marketing #19
7 Ways to Build Strong Customer Loyalty
Several years ago I was looking for a new place to live. One day I asked my mom and my girlfriend to join me and my real estate agent here in Abbotsford, Rod Poole, as we looked at options.
Back then, the agent would normally line up several places to see in one afternoon tour (which has apparently changed completely!).
The first place we looked at was a definite option to consider. But of course, without making hasty decisions, we went on to see 3 or 4 more places.
When we were done looking at all the available options on his list, I asked Rod if we could go back to the top spot. He got on the phone to make the proper arrangements and off we went.
As we drove into the driveway, we all gasped.
There was a family of deer grazing on the front lawn!
How amazing! We couldn’t believe it.
Of course, that was all I needed to make up my mind and decide that I had found my perfect new home.
And then I was suspicious.
How the hell did this happen?
Who did Rod call anyway?
We all had fun accusing him of arranging the “deal-solidifying” deer family to be neatly organized, making sure I would fall in love with the place. And this was before home staging existed!
He made the whole experience more than memorable.
So much so, that over the years whenever a family member or friend needed a real estate agent, Rod was the only option she referred them to.
And whenever he and I have connected over the years, we always bring up that family of deer who graced us with their presence at the perfect time.
We also get a giggle at my expense, remembering when I looked outside the patio doors and mistook a cat sitting on a perch in the backyard for another deer…
“Um…” Rod said. “That’s a cat, Susan.”
of OH!
Those kinds of memorable experiences stay with us for a long time.
We don’t forget how it made us feel and who was responsible. Even if Rod didn’t do it miraculously (or did it?) conjure those deer, created those feelings.
In fact, as I look back on and write about that time, I remember meeting Rod through his wife, Angela Glazema. She is also a real estate agent and I met her through an answering service that she used to work for.
Over time, she and I connected and she even became one of my Mary Kay customers.
One day I remember telling him that my daughter’s birthday was coming up. And do you know what she did? I’m still floored by this incredibly generous gesture – on Melissa’s birthday, she arranged to have a bouquet of balloons delivered to our doorstep!
The look on Melissa’s face was priceless.
My admiration and respect for Angela increased.
It’s an experience I’ll never forget because of how that gesture made Melissa and me feel.
And the only reason Angela wasn’t in the car with me when I was looking for a new home was because she was becoming a new mom herself, so she put me in her husband’s capable hands.
I share this story because I am often asked and see similar questions on social media: “How can I create strong customer loyalty?”
The answer is simple. Make them feel special.
Here are seven suggestions for you to consider:
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Do something that goes beyond customer expectations
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Anticipate their needs by getting to know them on a deeper level, so they can feel like you really “get” them.
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Send your VIP clients a gift letting them know how much you appreciate them
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Send a card for special occasions like her birthday or anniversary.
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Offer an incentive for referrals through a loyalty program
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Provide exceptional customer service and make it easy to work with you
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Earn their trust by being trustworthy
That extra effort will reap many rewards.
Not only will it help cement a long-term relationship with a client who will then be happy to send you referrals. You’ll also feel amazing for making someone’s day with an act of kindness.
Now if Rod deliberately manifested that deer family or not (who is with me on this), that was just the beginning of a fantastic relationship, helping me through the home buying process as a single mom.
It is a relationship I will never forget, and I will be forever grateful that he and Angela were, and still are, in my life.
Can you think of ways you can provide your customers with similar experiences that will strengthen your relationship?
Go now. Implement!
For the success of your business,
Suzanne