How to build customer loyalty with two words.
Would you like to have a magic spell that you could put on your clients, customers, prospects and readers that would make them the most loyal customers on the planet, so that they would NEVER consider doing business with anyone else?
Of course you would…who wouldn’t? It’s tough out there with so much competition for our customer’s attention, and with the convenience of having the world at your fingertips via your smart phone, internet, and social media, it’s no wonder that customer loyalty isn’t what it used to be.
Some people are price conscious. Some people are brand conscious. But most people are convenience conscious.
But, customer loyalty exists. My dad will drive 45 minutes to a hardware store…going past several Ace Hardware, True Value, Home Depot, and Lowes stores along the way because this one store is different. They carry everything or will get it for you asap, they give personal attention, and not to sound cliche, they treat their customers differently than the big box stores.
Let’s Take the Discussion of Customer Loyalty to a Whole New Level
I was introduced to this video by Fabienne Fredrickson, an attraction marketing guru gal that I admire and follow and I loved it so much I wanted to share it with you. 
In the video, with Gary Vaynerchuck, author of Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion and his new book The Thank You Economy, you will learn how to take your customer relationship building to the next level…beyond the know you, like you, trust you, to the love you so much they are wanting to name their next baby after your company stage! Okay, not really, but maybe?
So the magic word we learned as a kid doesn’t cut it in the marketing world…the new magic words are “Thank You” but not said in the same-old-same-old way.
Ways to Thank Your Customers to Create Customer Loyalty:
How could you thank your customers in a way that would induce loyalty? Let’s start a discussion in the comments…
I’ll go first:
- Use a company like Send Out Cards to send unexpected gifts to your customers. I’ve sent brownies, books, and even baking kit and a dig a dinosaur kit to kids of my clients. I signed up to use in my primary business and I’ve ended up using it for a million different things.
- Send personalized video email greetings to your friends, clients, and customers letting them know that you appreciate them…maybe sharing ideas you have for them in their business, etc. I’ve always gotten a fantastic response when I’ve sent personalized video emails to others!
- Brand yourself as a go giver. Example: Do you always bring your clients a flower? Do you wrap their purchases up beautifully and include a surprise gift so they feel like it’s their birthday every time they order?
- Praise your teammates to their spouses and families.
- Compliment someone in public.
- Send someone you love doing business with great referrals frequently.
- Write a post about someone who has helped you in your business like Mavis did for me in her post: Heather Stephens Proves That Blogging Can Be Fun and Rewarding (Thank you Mavis! I ♥ U! You blew me away with this one!)
Okay, now it’s your turn…what ideas do you have to thank your customers, clients and prospects? Please share your customer loyalty building thank you ideas in the comments and share this post in social media.
P.S. In the event that I’m lucky enough to have Gary V or Fabienne Fredrickson someday stumble upon this post…thank you both for your leadership in the client attraction and customer loyalty building world of social media!
Thanks for reading! I’m excited to have you here and I hope you enjoyed the content. Please let me know what you think in the comments below (this is a dofollow blog!) and connect with me in social media. It’s time to unleash the Clever Marketer in you!
Love it Heather!
Excellent sentiments, and love the video form Gary. You shared some great examples of ‘Going the Extra Mile’ here too…
I think it all boils down to offering something truly unique that your competitors don’t, and examples like sending customers a signed football exemplify that…
I’m still working on exactly the way I want to embed the ‘thankyou philosophy’ into my business, but it’s going to involve giving out free stuff over and above the call of duty!
Thanks Heather, well shared
Jym
Jym @ Blog Lead Generation recently posted..Resources and Tools for Bloggers – Online Productivity Tools
Hi Heather! Great post. And you gave such an extensive list of good ideas that I am drawing a blank trying to add to them.
But the idea of finding unique ways to show appreciation to your customers, to make them feel special is a great one!! I think the two ideas of yours that seemed like ones I could do were sending a card or a video email.
Thanks for the inspiration & the great ideas!
Jeanine
Thank you for the post Heather.
Gary Vaynerchuck is really great especially when he speaks, the confidence and knowledge attract me.
There’s a sentence that meaning is something like this: “We keep our customers happy, they’ll keep us in business”.
It’s about both party, the interaction of both.
Wong Jia Jun recently posted..Monthly Report – May 2011
Hey Heather,
I have noticed that too about customer loyalty. I remember a time I would drive 1hr to go to Church bypassing tens of churches in the process. Why? Because I felt I belonged and appreciated.
One tip that has endeared me to some retail shops is discounts for loyal customers. When you are a consistent buyer you have discounts for coming over and over again.
Being thoughtful and helpful is a great way to keep customers.
Thanks for sharing your insights, Heather!
~Tosin
Hi Heather, it’s true that almost everyone still says thank you, and that’s why we have to do it in a different and more personal way. The element of surprise still works.
Mavis is indeed wonderful, she’s put a lot of work behind her blog yet she finds time to look at what others are doing.
Thanks
Loved this post Heather and it definitely speaks to me.
I’m a very appreciative person and am always thanking those who have helped me learn and grow as well. I also send out a lot of cards to people just because and I send one thanking people who have done business with me. I also send a lot of personal emails thanking those people for their continued support and asking if there is anything else I can help them with. I get a lot of positive response from those methods. It definitely does go a long way.
Really enjoyed Gary’s video and he is so right. It’s something I’ve known for a very long time. So glad others are finally waking up to this.
Thanks for this reminder and for sharing this with us. Mavis did a wonderful job with your post too. Acknowledging those who have helped us along the way is so important.
Have a blessed day and thanks again.
Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Confession Time- My May Stats Are In
Agree with you Heather customer loyalty exists. Definitely. Your suggestions for saying thank you are very good.
Also, don’t forget to actually say thank you in a genuine way. That’s something that’s very much forgotten in the West nowadays, apart from London (Britain). Far too many companies forget being polite. Someone saying “Thank you for using your credit card” just doesn’t give a genuine and positive impression.
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Hi Heather!
Wow! Amazing video! I was sitting up straight all the time and listening with awe and wonder at Gary Vaynerchuk. Such a passionate speaker and he really knows what he’s talking about!
My mind is now conjuring up magic tricks of its own to address the issue of inducing customer loyalty. Thanks for sharing this! I really learned a lot!
A great weekend to you!
Elmar Sandyck recently posted..Guess Who’s Helping Us Out This June
Going straight to the point! I love the video very much. Gary Vaynerchuk is one of my inspirations. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Andrew Walker recently posted..Thrifty Promo Code
Hi Heather,
I have just started to make a small research on ways to drive customer loyalty and Gary’s video came just at the right time. Thanks for sharing!
Alison recently posted..Whole Body Cleanse
When I worked at my dads hairdressing salons we inplemented a number of client loyalty schemes and looked at new ways to stay in connact with our clients. But hairdressing is a serviced based industry and this is seen as a must.
Barry B recently posted..Blackberry Bold Touch 9930
Hi Heather,
Glad to see you are back. I would agree that all the points you make are good for customer loyalty. I have a nice power point I’ve used to sell this to business people. The trick is to get them to spend what it takes in time and money to accomplish these goals.
Lou Barba
Lou [email protected] recently posted..Disclaimer SendOutCards
Hi Heather,
Your right it’s so much easier keeping existing clinets than it is to get new onrs.
We offer graded preferential pricing to return guests, keep in contact with a monthly newsletter with news and special offers and send out Christmas cards – it may sound cheesy but it really works.
Matt recently posted..Luxury Ski Chalets
Great ideas in post and excellent videos.I want to say that it is marketing training site.Each post with new idea and inclination.
Nawaz@fantastic sams coupons printable recently posted..Fantastic Sams Coupons Printable
What an amazing video Heather. Awesome idea… !
Thanks for sharing this great post with us.
Dev @ wpkube recently posted..How to add Google Plus one button to WordPress & Thesis
Hi Heather,
Got here at last! Saw that your post was about Gary Vaynerchuk a couple of days ago, who I admire greatly and have been trying to get here ever since.
I have not been disappointed.
I believe that the “thank you culture” in business has been around forever. Those who have been hugely successful long before the Internet were doing it then too.
It’s just that now it’s actually harder to do it because the consciousness of business is moving in the way it is, so one has to find even more ways to stand out when delivering this message to others.
As soon as something becomes exceedingly popular it loses it’s “in demand value”.
I already find that giving stuff away to say thank you is not such a big deal online because everybody is doing it.
It’s a bit like saying “thank you” – many don’t even hear it any more no matter how genuine the intent is.
I believe the way forward is for the thank you’s to become far more personalised and customised and your ideas support this brilliantly.
The more personal we can make this the better. The person on the other end will value the thank when they know that it took some effort for you to do what you did to make them feel specil, either time wise or financially.
It’s all about the personal relationships and how we can make a difference to the individual which in the end will make a difference to the collective.
Thanks for inspiring me to give this some more thought.
~Marcus
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Hey Heather,
Loved this post and enjoyed the video. Great list of ideas you’re sharing here.
It’s all about appreciation marketing. It’s important to keep appreciating your customers – without them you wouldn’t have much of a business.
It is much easier to keep the customers you already have, versus having to go out and getting new ones. So, look after them and show them some appreciation.
You’re welcome, Heather. Thanks for the kind mention
All the best,
Mavis
P.S. Why don’t you send this post link to Fabienne?
Mavis Nong | Blog Commenting recently posted..Ask Mavis Series – Back By Popular Demand!
Unexpected gifts are my favorite part!Who would not be happy with surprises? Well, I guess it all has to be about appreciation, without it, no deeper and lasting results can be achieved, only superficial and short term ones.
Great share, I sure enjoyed reading this through and checking the video. Thanx,Heather.
Best wishes
Kristina L. recently posted..Free Credit Score Coupon Codes
Hi Heather, Great video and truly gave me a lot of ideas to show gratitude to my customers also.
Sandi@Kasper Suits recently posted..How to Enhance Your Look with Pantsuits for Women
Hi Heather,
Thank you for sharing your wonderful idea. Retaining customer’s loyalty is one of the best method to let our business stay in the game. Finding new customers is still a must but preserving old customers trust is the key to let business stay longer.
Jerryl@Toilet Paper recently posted..Quilted Northern Soft & Strong Bathroom Tissue – 36 Jumbo Rolls
Thank you Jerry. It’s always less expensive to increase the lifetime value and loyalty of a current happy customer than to generate a new one.
It is a very nice and informative post. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this field. This post is helpful for many readers especially newbies like me.
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