By Pon Angara, VisionReady storyteller
Loyal customers are those who trust a brand so much that they prefer to always buy its products regardless of price or convenience. The great merit of International Customer Loyalty Month is to promote changes in the economy. An economy based on customer loyalty is more consistent over the long term and more resilient.
Think about it: nobody is more important to a business than the consumer, right? Without the consumer, it doesn’t matter if you have a winning product that solves all the world’s problems: your business will not thrive. This was a factor that the sales world had to embrace to understand that customer loyalty is its main asset.
Begin with building trust
Loyalty has always been the tip of the balance in any business transaction. Commerce is based on trust, and it is trust that builds loyalty. How do you earn your customers’ trust? It varies depending on who your customer base is and how you engage with them.
Regardless, the first step is to create opportunities for you to LISTEN to your customers. Ask them questions that will help you get to know them better—their passion, their pain, what they care about, what motivates them, what they dream about.
It’s an intellectual and emotional benefit for the person who feels heard and validated. They can be more open and welcome further conversations and interactions with you and lead to a long-term relationship with your brand.
5 Key Realities of Customer Service
- Customer service is crucial for business
Nine out of 10 Americans consider the quality of customer service to be a crucial factor in deciding to do business with companies. - Customers have changed
The internet has completely changed the way businesses and customers interact with each other — they are now closer and more connected than ever before. - The whole world is watching
Companies are seen, analyzed, and criticized all the time — a failure or deviation is quickly identified by the public and can trigger a crisis. - Trust is something you earn
Building trust is hard work and takes a lot of energy and dedication. - Loyalty is something you cultivate
While trust is difficult to earn, loyalty is difficult to maintain — companies with loyal customers are those that listen to them and take them into account.
By promoting a culture based on customer perception and on constantly improving the quality of services, International Customer Loyalty Month provides an environment of listening and transparency. This spreads throughout society.
VisionReady works with clients to create effective strategies that help forge meaningful, long-term relationships with their customers and build customer loyalty. For more information, send an email to info@visionready.org or call (305) 791-2610.