According to John Jantsch, “Marketing is getting people who have a specific need or problem to know, like and trust you.”
Why know, like and trust?
Because your business isn’t about selling products. It’s about building relationship with people who have a need or problem you can solve.
Think about it. One-time sales may be profitable. But customers who come back time and again — because they can’t get what you give them anywhere else — are invaluable. So your job is to create such value that your customers wouldn’t think of going anywhere else.
To achieve this level of loyalty, though, you’ve got to provide honest-to-goodness value that goes beyond the ordinary vendor-customer relationship. You’ve got to become a trusted advisor and selfless friend. Like Jantsch says, help your customers know, like and trust you.
So how can you build this kind of relationship with your prospects and customers? For starters, adopt the same mindset you use with your non-business relationships.
Basic relationship-building tactics
1. Nurture relationships. Properly nurtured, you can turn prospects into customers and customers into loyal fans. How do you do this? Connect with your prospects and customers. Put a lead capturing device on your website and social media platforms. Then provide a steady stream of useful, relevant content. Keep yourself on the front of their minds. Become a trusted advisor. And when they’re ready to buy, you’re the one they’ll turn to.
2. Think “us,” not “me versus them.” In a sense, we’re returning to old-fashioned values. Our customers pay our bills, so to speak, so it’s valid to believe we’re in this together. Make your customers’ needs the driving force behind your business. Then you can create a “win-win” scenario, which is the foundation of any good relationship.
3. Focus on providing value rather than making the sale. Your goal is to provide so much value that your asking price seems fair. No, more than fair. After all, the perks of doing business with you are much greater than with anyone else.
4. Listen to what your customers are saying. Don’t don’t talk at them. And don’t think of them only as targets. Instead, get involved with them as people. Open dialog, so your customers can tell you what’s on their minds. Develop think tanks, forums and surveys. Use social media. Whatever the medium, give your customers a voice.
5. Respond to their needs. The surest way to prove you’re listening is to respond to what you hear. Adjust your product or service to meet the needs of your customers. Shift your message to address what you’re hearing. Answer their questions and be available to them.
6. Don’t push your agenda. No one wants to be in relationship with someone who’s pushy. And let’s face it, marketing is a push mechanism. Because of this, pure marketing, especially advertising, is losing its power. People don’t trust what we say about ourselves. They’re looking for objective information, so they prefer to know what others are saying about us. With this in mind, be careful that your content isn’t all about you. Write to your customers’ needs, not yours.
7. Empower your advocates. If you’re serving your customers well, making their needs your highest priority, you probably already have a loyal fan base. Make it a practice to collect testimonials and develop case studies. Provide a forum for your biggest fans to share their enthusiasm about you. Then reward them for their efforts.
8. Always deliver on your promises. Every sale is based on a promise. You must deliver what you promise, or you’ll lose credibility. Deliver more than you promise, and you’ll reap the rewards in improved customer satisfaction.
All it takes is a shift in thinking.
No matter what your business, your success ultimately depends on a steady supply of people who want what you have to offer. But you must offer more than a product or service. When people consider a purchase, they take into account the experience of doing business with you.
Here’s the bottom line: Whether you’re B2B or B2C, you do business with people, and people prefer to buy from someone they have relationship with.
Successful businesses understand this. They work on relationship as much as marketing or branding. They help their customers know, like and trust them, and their bottom line reflects it.
What do you do to help customers know, like and trust you? Any tips or tricks you’d like to share?
