Customer loyalty is essential to long term sustainable growth. We don’t think anyone would disagree with this statement. What is customer loyalty and how do you build it? We believe customer loyalty is built on personal, not personalized, relationships with your customers.
Personal marketing is much more powerful than personalized marketing.
It’s about 3 pm in the afternoon and you head down to your mailbox. Upon perusing through the mail, you find a handwritten card addressed to you personally. You also come upon a pre-printed card with your name conveniently placed in the salutation line.
Which are you more apt to open and read?
The handwritten card? Yes! Because you feel that business is addressing you as a person, not a sale. They are recognizing the value you bring to their business.
Three examples of personal marketing that you can incorporate into your business today
Over the years, we have enjoyed some great success for our clients with personal marketing. Here are just three examples of the impact personal marketing has on buyer loyalty.
- A True Tale of Marketing in the Wild. A friend had a customer experience that was so gloriously perfect that it created a committed, engaged customer. She placed an order to receive a regular shipment of products from a company. The company website was engaging and simple to use. Shortly thereafter, she received a hand-written, hand-stamped postcard. It was personal and took extra time, clearly letting her know that they value her and her business. With this simple postcard, they created a customer experience that she still shares with everyone.
- Automobile brand loyalty. A friend of mine drove a specific brand of car. She had purchased many over the years and was very loyal to this particular dealership and salesman. While her car was in for service, she went into labor with her second child. She did not return the loaner that evening. The salesman and the dealer were concerned and contacted the woman and her husband. Upon hearing the good news, both the dealership and the brand’s U.S. main headquarters sent flowers to her in the hospital with handwritten notes. She has never driven another brand of car! Do not underestimate the importance of customer loyalty.
- Greeting your customers by name. A local business owner greets his customers by name upon entering his store. He knows them, their likes, and their buying preferences. Great care has been taken to build a database of their birthdays and anniversaries so that he can write personal notes on these dates. He finds great joy in this and so do his customers. Some of which he has had for decades.
Not sure how to make this happen in your business?
It is very simple and almost intuitive to build strong and personal communications with your customers.
Adding personal touches to your marketing plan does not have to take extra time or expense. A targeted and true customer loyalty strategy contains a variety of methods that are different for almost every company. Cox Marketing Solutions delivers and executes a tailored strategy that utilizes a mix of approaches.
Contact us for a free consultation and begin building customer loyalty from personal marketing.