People Love You

1. Put Customers First: The Foundation of Legendary Customer Experiences

"Customers first is a belief system that helps you override your natural tendency to focus on what is easy and pleasurable for you and instead step into your customers' shoes to see things from their perspective and change your behavior to serve their needs over yours—to make it easy and pleasurable to do business with you."

Empathy is key. Putting customers first means truly understanding their perspective, needs, and challenges. This requires developing empathy and actively seeking to understand your customers' businesses and pain points.

Make it easy. Prioritize removing friction from the customer experience. This could involve streamlining processes, improving communication, or going above and beyond to solve problems quickly.

• Regularly ask: "Is it easy for my customers to do business with me?"
• Be accessible and responsive
• Proactively provide updates and information
• Follow through on commitments consistently

Be likable. Cultivate behaviors that make you more approachable and pleasant to work with. This includes smiling, maintaining a positive attitude, practicing active listening, and demonstrating genuine interest in your customers as people.

2. Connect Emotionally: The Gateway to Lasting Customer Relationships

"When customers feel connected with you, they feel more comfortable telling you their real problems, roadblocks, and issues. With this information in hand, you have the opportunity to solve problems that really matter."

Listen deeply. The most powerful way to connect with customers is through genuine, attentive listening. Focus on understanding not just their words, but the emotions and motivations behind them.

• Practice active listening techniques
• Make eye contact and give your full attention
• Ask thoughtful follow-up questions
• Avoid interrupting or jumping to solutions prematurely

Build rapport naturally. Instead of relying on formulaic "rapport-building" techniques, focus on being authentically interested in your customers. Find common ground and shared interests, but don't force it.

Remember and use names. Make a conscious effort to remember and use your customers' names, as well as important details about their lives and businesses. This demonstrates that you value them as individuals.

3. Solve Problems Proactively: Become Your Customer's Trusted Advisor

"Problem solvers are the champions of the business world and customer magnets. When you actively and consistently solve problems, customers view you as a resource they can't live without."

Anticipate needs. Develop a deep understanding of your customers' businesses and industries. Use this knowledge to proactively identify potential challenges and opportunities before your customers even realize they exist.

Ask strategic questions. Use a dual-process questioning approach to uncover both logical and emotional aspects of your customers' situations. This helps you get to the root of problems and find truly impactful solutions.

• Open-ended questions to explore broadly
• Closed-ended questions to clarify specific points
• Empathy questions to understand emotional drivers

Become indispensable. When you consistently bring valuable insights and solutions to the table, you become a trusted advisor that customers rely on. This positions you as a partner in their success, not just a vendor.

4. Build Trust Through Consistent Actions and Transparency

"Trust is the sole foundation on which the relationships you build with your customers rest. Every action, decision, and behavior links to and directly affects trust—positively or negatively."

Be consistently reliable. Trust is built through a series of small, consistent actions over time. Follow through on commitments, meet deadlines, and always do what you say you'll do.

Own your mistakes. When things go wrong (and they will), take full responsibility. Avoid blaming others or making excuses. Instead, focus on finding solutions and making things right.

• Admit mistakes quickly and sincerely
• Apologize when appropriate
• Present a clear plan to fix the issue
• Follow up to ensure resolution

Be transparent. Share information openly, even when it's not entirely positive. Customers appreciate honesty and will trust you more in the long run if you're upfront about challenges or limitations.

5. Create Positive Emotional Experiences: Anchor Your Customer Relationships

"When you consistently create positive experiences for your clients, you add to that memory and deepen their emotional connection with you."

Leverage the Law of Reciprocity. When you go above and beyond to create positive experiences for customers, they naturally feel compelled to reciprocate. This builds loyalty and strengthens relationships over time.

Pay attention to self-disclosures. Listen carefully for personal details or interests that customers reveal. Use this information to create thoughtful, personalized gestures that show you care.

Focus on small, meaningful actions. While grand gestures can be impactful, consistent small acts of kindness often have a more lasting effect:

• Handwritten thank-you notes
• Remembering birthdays or important events
• Sharing relevant articles or resources
• Small, thoughtful gifts tied to their interests

6. Leverage Your Support Team: Deliver Exceptional Service at Scale

"The most successful customer service professionals and account managers have learned how to leverage their support teams to build trust with prospects and customers."

Develop a strategic account plan. Create a clear roadmap for each major account, outlining goals, key contacts, and action steps. Share this plan with your support team to ensure everyone is aligned.

Communicate effectively. Maintain open lines of communication with your support team. Provide clear instructions, set expectations, and follow up consistently.

• Regular team meetings or check-ins
• Detailed notes in your CRM system
• Prompt responses to internal inquiries

Show appreciation. Recognize and thank your support team for their efforts. When they feel valued, they'll be more motivated to go above and beyond for your customers.

7. Make Breaking Up Hard: Retain Customers Through Unparalleled Value

"A bias toward account management and customer retention is the hallmark of the most profitable businesses."

Continuously demonstrate value. Regularly showcase the tangible benefits and ROI your products or services provide. Use metrics, case studies, and success stories to reinforce your value proposition.

Address issues proactively. Don't wait for customers to complain. Regularly check in, ask for feedback, and address potential problems before they escalate.

Make it personal. Foster strong personal relationships throughout your customer's organization. When customers feel a genuine connection with you and your team, they'll be less likely to switch to a competitor.

Exit gracefully when necessary. If a customer does decide to leave, handle the situation professionally and leave the door open for future business. Sometimes, as in Nick's story, customers return after experiencing inferior service elsewhere.

Last updated: August 12, 2024