Caring is Winning

Whether you’re a brand or a business, you must be communicating every day.

And if you’re not doing it yet, you’re already behind. You should take communication very seriously. Think of communicating with your customers and customer service as a whole, as an offense, not a defense. I believe this is tremendously essential because I can’t understand the value of upsetting the customer.

But can I let you in on a little secret?

While most of marketers talk the talk, they don’t walk the walk. Everyone’s preaching about customer experience and having a customer focus, yet surprisingly a huge number of organizations are a long way from operating like well-oiled customer-centric machines.

It seems like somewhere along the way they’ve lost the course, direction and the personal touch.

You will hear a lot of people talking about creating personal content and how important is to engage with your customers, to hear them and to be where they are, among other tips, yet they automate and tend talking in corporate gibberish and marketer-speak, being anything but personal. Well, I’m not even mentioning those who are still skeptics on the power of social media! Disastrous!

The excuse that it’s harder for larger organizations to build relations with their customers and having a customer-centric strategy isn’t valid anymore. The big, established brands that still believe one dissatisfied customer won’t affect sales are so wrong. This is a myth! Down the line, what matters is customer loyalty, which will help you convert your loyal customers into brand ambassadors without further marketing investment.

Now back to you. I know that starting your own brand is both terrifying and exciting! With a small label, proximity and personalized comms are a must.

However, bear in mind that happy customers tend to be returning customers, and it takes more than a good product or sale to keep them happy. And as we know, word of mouth spreads faster and more efficiently.

Think of every customer as a long-haul partner. Better yet, look at the mirror, ooze with charisma and simply care about your customers. Understanding how to ensure their happiness is your key to a successful business. But you’ll have to focus on getting them first, and profits second. Because when your only motivator is chasing for profits, you’re going to lose big time. People are hooked with emotions. It’s a proven fact that positive experiences bring people more happiness than possessions do.

I’m glad that someone in our positions can make a difference in this matter. Just keep this in mind. There is only one boss. The customer. And caring is the key to trust and loyalty.

I can’t tell you the ROI of caring, but I can tell you this — caring is the foundation of how you should treat EVERY SINGLE CUSTOMER, as this can become your competitive edge.

Customers have the power to make or break a business. Put them at the center of your marketing strategy and you’ll see the impact on your bottom line.