Like any relationship, it can be difficult having people / customers fall in love with your business. Maybe they swipe left and you swipe right. Maybe you both swipe right, but in the end neither of you text back. What about that one time you talked with a business only for it to turn into a catfish, no you didn’t order those heels in green. Or my personal favorite, when you met up for dinner and they “forgot” the products, so you ended up paying for the bill with nothing in return! Yuck.
Building strong relationships is one of the best and easiest ways for you to grow and elevate your business. At its foundation, all sales are based on some kind of relationship whether that be satisfying a need, being active in their community, or overall having their back. Sure we will all have those awkward first dates, and sometimes the chemistry might not be there, but what’s important is that you continue to forge relationships and boss up your business!
It’s time for you to step outside of your comfort zone, update that profile pic, and get your customers ready to fall in love with you!
1 – Meet Customer Needs
Think about why you started your business in the first place. You wanted to satisfy a need that your target audience has. This means that you need to be actively listening to your customers and hearing what they say. All great relationships have a great communication system in place so ensure your business has one as well; i.e. emails for questions, phone number for inquiries, social media messaging for feedback, etc.
To fall in love with someone means that you’re happy with the things they are providing you, through services, support, products, etc. By meeting the needs of your customers you are going to ensure that they are happy, and maybe even in love with your business!
Become a Confident Speaker!
We’ll be talking about some of the ways you can overcome the fear of public speaking in this workbook, but one of the main things you need to ask yourself is:
What kind of speaker are you?
Once you understand this about yourself, you will feel much more confident to take to the stage to express your message.
2 – Be Relevant and Aware
Have you ever had a conversation with a partner where it was obvious that they had no idea what you were talking about. They were clearly not listening and were clearly unaware of the conversation. What about that one partner that always references random and weird movies that added no value to the conversation, yeah that’s a good memory there.
Being relevant and aware with your customers will help you capture their attention. If you know they love dogs, talk about dogs and the latest product for them. If your services are for traveling around Peru, make sure to have pictures and videos of Peru everywhere! When you have loyal customers, they already have fallen in love with your business. Don’t waste their time with nonsense.
3 – Become Customer Centric
This one might be the golden rule in all relationships, DON’T JUST TALK ABOUT YOURSELF. Guess what, your partner had something happen at work as well, and had a day they’d like to share. When you switch your thinking from solely being product/service pushing to thinking more about your customer, you’re going to see a change in their buying habits.
Customers are guaranteed to fall in love with your business when you focus on them. Who doesn’t love some attention every now and then? Put your customers first. I mean, they are the reason you have a business in the first place.
Women Thrive Magazine
For every woman to be empowered to use her voice and share her story
This is our monthly digital publication where we feature inspiring women stories and their business insights. This is our way of making sure that women in business and entrepreneurship are celebrated and their stories are shared globally.
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4 – Be a Good Steward of Your Community
There is nothing that grosses me out more than seeing a large corporation promote a social issue and then not see it through, or only come out for that specific history month. Customers nowadays are incredibly aware of which companies are for and against certain topics. Make sure that you state what you support and support those causes as often as you can.
Support comes in many different shapes and sizes. Sometimes that can be monetary or product donations, but it is always good to have a bit of media and PR for your business to promote. One business that I see being amazing stewards of their communities is Dunkin’ and their Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. Their mission is to bring joy to sick and hungry kids and all of the money that is raised is granted back into the communities where funds were donated.
5 – Show Your Customers You Love Them Back
One of my favorite parts of working for various clients is that I get to show so many different groups of people love! But you might be asking, Rachel, how can I show my customers that I love them?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered below!
- Highlight them on your website or social media platforms
- Provide a giveaway
- Post their testimonial
- Have them as a guest speaker at your next event or on your podcast
- Name a product after them
- Offer them a free hour of your time
- Take them out to lunch
- Send them a hand written thank you note
- Surprise them with a free item in their next order
- Offer to donate to a cause of their choosing
- Send them a goody bag
Remember, you’re simply wanting customers to fall in love with your business… not marry it. If you’d like more information about essentials all small business owners should have, click here. Or, for more information on how to pay yourself as a business owner, click here!
Good luck swiping and I hope you start seeing customers fall in love with your business soon!
J. Rachel West
Marketing Executive | Women Thrive Media
Rachel West is a marketing & branding devotee who loves empowering women in business. She is a “she-boss” running her own marketing agency, JRW Consulting LLC. When she's not at her desk you can find her traveling the world.
