The Secret to Building Customer Loyalty
What differentiates a mediocre business from a Legacy Business?
There are a few business fundamentals that you need to understand in order to drive sales and achieve longevity in your business.
One of the most critical fundamentals that will keep the lights on and doors open in your business is customer loyalty.
Legacy Business owners have the foresight to understand that business and sales growth requires a loyal customer base. Yes, adding new customers to your roster is important. But what will you do to ensure they’ll stick around?
Your current clients provide value to your business in terms of predictable income. Even more importantly, satisfied clients are also most likely to advocate for your brand. Make no mistake — there is no better advertising than a happy customer. Treat your customers right and they will spread the word happily.
Customer loyalty is dependent on customer satisfaction.
According to motivational public speaker and self-development author Brian Tracy, there are four levels of customer satisfaction based on the degree to which you meet your customers’ expectations. The higher the level you achieve, the greater customer loyalty – and profitability – you will achieve.
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Level #1: Meet Customer Expectations
Your business won’t survive long unless you meet your customers’ basic expectations by providing what you say you will provide. This is a bare minimum requirement. If you provide a service and receive no complaints, you know you have met their basic expectations. At this level, your customer is satisfied for the time being, but you haven’t yet established customer loyalty.
You have to be prepared for the reality of a competitive marketplace. Your competitors’ goal is to demonstrate their ability to do more than simply meet customer expectations. If your product or service is merely passable, then your competitor is likely to succeed at persuading your customers to give them a try.
What’s more, when you walk the fine line of only meeting their basic expectations, you risk one day failing to meet their expectations. If this happens, your customers will shift their loyalty to someone who they believe will go the extra mile.
Level #2: Exceed Their Expectations
Achieving the next level of customer satisfaction requires going above and beyond their basic expectations. The quality of the product or service you offer needs to be so good that it surprises your customers and they take notice.
Providing good customer service quickly and with a friendly demeanor may land you in this category. If a client has an issue or concern, take responsibility, address it promptly and professionally, and follow up to ensure they are satisfied with how it was resolved.
When you provide this level of customer satisfaction, you begin to build real customer loyalty. Your customers will think twice before considering giving your competitors a try.
This level of service will also help you move beyond survival mode into greater profitability for two reasons. First, your customers may be willing to pay more for the quality of service you provide, enabling you to establish pricing with greater profit margins. The second reason you will achieve greater profitability is that customers will begin telling others that they are happy with your product or service.
Level #3: Make Them Smile
Now you’re consistently exceeding your customers’ expectations, but what can you do to create a customer experience so enjoyable that you make an emotional impact? Business owners who offer this level of service don’t need to expend energy worrying about other competitors stealing their customers. When you are able to exceed expectations and make an emotional impact, you develop valuable customer loyalty.
Creating an emotional impact doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In fact, it can be as simple as making a phone call to check in on a client who recently lost a parent to see how they are holding up or personally sharing your heart-felt congratulations when a customer reaches a milestone wedding anniversary. When you show your clients you genuinely care, they will feel the difference.
Level #4: Be Unforgettable
The final level of customer satisfaction – which I encourage all my Celeste Giordano Coaching clients to strive for – is to amaze your clients. Dazzle them by going above and beyond. Demonstrate to them that you are personally invested in their success. Delight your customers consistently enough and you won’t merely grow your business, you’ll dominate the marketplace. Investing in your clients is absolutely an investment in your business, and differentiates average performers from those who build thriving, sustainable Legacy Businesses.
For example, let’s say you run a personal training gym and one of your clients achieves a personal goal of completing a marathon. Sure, you could send them an email or call them to congratulate them. But how can you really honor their achievement and let them know you care? Ask their permission to spotlight them in an upcoming e-newsletter, celebrating their personal triumph and using them as an example of how a person can lift themselves to greatness. Creating opportunities to build your clients up and show them you care will help you reach and sustain the highest level of client satisfaction and loyalty.
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Are you providing excellent customer experiences across all channels and at all times in your business?
I challenge you to examine how you can exceed expectations, make an emotional impact and dazzle customers in your own business.
Email me today at celeste@celestegiordano.com to learn strategies that will ensure you not only meet but exceed your clients’ expectations so they never look to your competitors again.
Up Next: You’re Invited
Metro ATL and Beyond 2017 May 12-13, 2017
Join us for a Celebration of Networking and Results with Speakers (including me), Panels, Friday Night Meet and Greet Reception with Appetizers and a Full Day Saturday Program (plenty of surprises in store as well!)
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We invite our local community to visit us on May 25th, 2017 from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. at the 1818 Club for the WGC Atlanta Chapter meeting. Pre-registration for the event is $25.00. Click here to pre-register. If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact celeste@thewomenofglobalchange.com.
We are also opening up several other chapters across the United States. I am honored to help launch the Toronto, Ontario Chapter in the summer, 2017. To become a presenting sponsor or sponsor at this premier Toronto event, contact Celeste Giordano here. For additional information about WGC, please visit our website!
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Money Mastermind May 31, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the 1818 Club
For more information, click here.
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Legacy Blueprint Business Workshop on June 16th 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the 1818 Club. Join us as three business masters, Sara Poe, Nicole Henderson and I, teach the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “Double Plus” your income and become an effective, inspirational leader in your field THIS year. Whether you’re starting a new venture or want to take your business to the next level, learn to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real, lasting success using a proven step-by-step system.
Fee: $30 (Continental breakfast provided)
To Register: celestegiordano.com/legacybusiness
Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with almost 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.
To learn more about Celeste, click here.
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