THIS CUSTOMER MINDSET CHANGED MY LIFE
THIS CUSTOMER MINDSET CHANGED MY LIFE
What is a raving fan?
A raving fan is someone who is deeply passionate about you, your team, your culture, your product or service, or their experience with you. They are eager to share it with their friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, or anyone who will listen. This is what we help business owners create. Raving fans can be external, meaning your clients, or internal, referring to your employees or team members.
Many people discuss the client journey or raving fans, but I believe most business owners have only scratched the surface. They haven't deeply explored the client journey, mapped out every touchpoint, identified what each one involves, or figured out how to improve the experience for clients or employees at each stage.
How should business owners map out every customer touchpoint?
I believe business is always evolving, making it an evergreen process. Here's what we do: we meet with a client and their department leaders, if they have teams, to identify every touchpoint from inbound through fulfillment and beyond—before, during, and after. We analyze what's currently happening in the business and compare it to what customers want. Wherever there is a gap, we create an initiative to fill it, assign it to a team member with a deadline, and then roll it out.
A full implementation typically takes about 60 to 90 days. The tactical aspect is that, in my experience, most business owners—even the successful ones—don't have any of this on paper. Some companies are still in an early stage where this process is mapped out, but not in detail or written down.
Why might it be difficult for business owners to focus on building existing relationships?
I believe most entrepreneurs are too focused on chasing the next opportunity. They concentrate on getting people into their system, generating results, receiving compensation, and then repeating the process. This is the mindset of most business owners. It's one of the biggest objections I face when speaking to them—they are accustomed to marketing agencies saying, "Based on your market, services, and population, if you invest $5,000 a month, we should produce this number of leads." The idea is that you put something in and get something out.
Instead, I suggest focusing on the key relationships with people who already know, like, and trust you.
What is the value of post-fulfillment follow-up?
I think the key is in the post-fulfillment follow-up. After a transaction—like replacing a roof or windows in construction—most businesses stop there. But this is the best opportunity. When a customer is excited about their new roof or windows, that's the perfect time to ask for more—not in a negative way, but as a natural next step. If you've delivered an exceptional experience and kept your promise, you should expect more than just payment. You should expect a 5-star Google review, a video testimonial, or an introduction to two or three people who might benefit from speaking with you or your team.
What role does self-belief play in overcoming challenges when starting a business?
I came home one day while my wife and I were building our first home together. I said, "Hey, I'm going to start a construction company." She replied, "You've never mentioned anything about construction." I said, "You're right. I don't know anything about it." She asked, "What are you going to do?" I answered, "We're going to do siding, roofing, and windows." She said, "Okay, interesting." I suggested, "Let's pray about it."
Then she looked at me and said something that I want your listeners to really hear. She said, "I don't know, but I believe in you." That still gives me chills. Up to that point, through my entire childhood and multiple arrests, I had never given anyone a reason to believe in me. In fact, I didn’t even believe in myself. I had faced serious charges, including aggravated assault, and only through the grace and mercy of God am I here talking to you.
But when she said that, I knew I couldn’t let her down—or our unborn child. I decided right then that no matter what it took, I would make it work.
Why are entrepreneurs hesitant to invest in relationship marketing?
The biggest pushback is that relationship and referral marketing is relatively new. Not many people talk about it because few have figured it out. Anyone can start a digital marketing agency, and I'm not criticizing marketing agencies—I have friends who own them. But like in any industry, not everyone is fully committed. I work with contractors daily, and if I work with 20 of them, 19 have had a bad experience with digital marketing.
People often care about relationships but aren't sure what relationship marketing really means. That's where education comes in. I ask what they are currently doing, offer free advice, suggest adding automation or trying new tactics, and tell them to report back if it works. Then, I explain how we can help bridge the gaps and what relationship marketing can do for their business. I understand their hesitation because I was once in their shoes—I hadn't heard of it either.
