NEVER LOSE A CUSTOMER AGAIN
NEVER LOSE A CUSTOMER AGAIN
How does the customer and employee journey improve business outcomes?
I believe that every customer goes through eight phases, starting from the moment they first hear about your business until they become a zealous fan and raving advocate. The same applies to our employees. They initially learn about an open position or the possibility of working somewhere, and then they progress through eight phases before becoming a raving fan employee. These employees are not only loyal and committed but also help recruit and spread the good word about your work.
At the end of the day, what ties both of these journeys together is their humanistic approach. It's not just about the tactical conversations and interactions but also the emotional feelings that accompany this journey. It's all about humans. I believe that a human is a human, no matter the context. We all share similar motivations, wants, needs, and desires. As leaders, whether we're leading a business to sell to customers or leading a team to work with colleagues, leaning into the emotional aspect will lead to even better results.
How can business owners choose the most effective communication tools to enhance customer and team relationships at different stages?
There are six communication tools we can use when interacting with customers or team members: in-person interactions, emails, phone calls, physical mail, videos, and gifts. Depending on the stage of the relationship, we can use these tools to create different experiences.
For example, very few people would describe an email they received as "amazing." Emails typically get read within 48 hours, with responses within 24 to 48 hours. On the other hand, the average response time for a text message is within 90 seconds. However, this doesn’t mean we should bombard customers with texts. We've all experienced unwanted texts from businesses, and it’s frustrating. Instead, the choice of communication tool should depend on the business, the relationship, and the emotional connection you're building with the recipient. By choosing the right tool, you can achieve your communication goals more effectively.
How can business owners ensure clients’ long-term satisfaction and loyalty?
When a customer makes a purchase, their brain is flooded with dopamine, leading to feelings of joy, euphoria, and excitement. They believe this product or service will solve their problems or take them to the next level. However, as the dopamine levels drop, those positive emotions are replaced by fear, doubt, and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, at the office, we're celebrating the new client and eagerly preparing to deliver the product or start the service. We're excited about what's to come, but the customer is entering the meeting in an emotional hole. Instead of immediately getting them up to speed and working together, we spend the initial phase trying to pull them out of that emotional dip.
Failing to acknowledge the customer's emotional state creates a significant gap between their feelings and ours. If we don't address this gap quickly, it can impact the entire relationship moving forward.
What strategies can businesses use to maintain and deepen relationships with long-term customers?
Humans generally enjoy the chase more than the catch. This is why dating often feels more exciting than marriage, though this isn't to diminish the value of marriage. In sales and marketing, when you're trying to attract someone, you're more mindful of your words, the interactions you have, and the small gestures you make to accelerate the relationship.
However, once you've been in a relationship—whether for a year, five years, or ten—you start to know the other person's habits and quirks and often take them for granted instead of using this knowledge to deepen the relationship.
This often shows up when companies run promotions offering new customers significant deals, like three months free. Loyal customers who’ve been with the company for years see these ads and wonder why someone new gets a better deal than they do. To address this, we can offer the same deal to everyone or, better yet, offer lower prices the longer someone stays with us. This approach can lead to more meaningful and informed relationships with our long-term customers.
What are effective ways businesses can simplify event scheduling to increase participation?
I'm involved in a few groups, and one of them does something really smart. After you sign up and enter your credit card information, you're taken to a screen that says, "We're excited to have you in the community!" Then, there's a button that lets you automatically add all of the group's events for the next year to your calendar, whether you use Google Calendar, iCal, or another tool. With one click, all the events are in my calendar.
Busy entrepreneurs live and die by their calendars. If something's already in the calendar, they won't schedule over it. This is much better than sending an email with a PDF of 17 dates for calls over the next year, which most people won't read or even see. By making it seamless, convenient, and easy, you're encouraging people to do more business with you.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
