{"id":882,"date":"2018-02-13T17:14:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T17:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insights360.com\/?p=882"},"modified":"2018-04-02T18:14:01","modified_gmt":"2018-04-02T18:14:01","slug":"show-the-love-secrets-to-winning-the-hearts-of-your-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insights360.com\/?p=882","title":{"rendered":"Show the Love: Secrets to Winning the Hearts of Your Customers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ahh, February\u2026 il mese dell’amore, the month of love.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>(Everything sounds better in Italian, si?)<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the perfect time to share a few thoughts on Relationship Marketing.<\/p>\n

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I love this definition from Forbes magazine<\/a>:\u00a0 “Relationship marketing<\/strong>\u00a0is a strategy designed to foster customer loyalty, interaction and long-term engagement. It is designed to develop strong connections with customers by providing them with\u00a0<\/em>information directly suited to their needs and interests and by promoting open communication.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Developing strong connections<\/strong>. YES! I\u2019m all about that. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

It is often said that 80% of your company\u2019s profits will likely come from the top 20% of your customer base. And at the very top of that 20% are those wonderful people called \u201cloyalists\u201d or \u201cadvocates.\u201d\u00a0Loyalists<\/strong> talk up your brand, actively engage in\u00a0promotions or brand\u00a0activities and rarely\u00a0switch to another company, even if discounts or incentives are offered.\u00a0They are, in modern terms, your BFF\u2019s! (tus mejores amigos!)<\/em><\/p>\n

So it\u2019s obvious that the more loyal advocates you have, the better off you are. Which leads us to this question: How do you create loyalists<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Marketing Teacher<\/a> explains that the idea that consumers can be moved along a continuum of loyalty\u00a0using a number of integrated marketing communications techniques is often referred to as a loyalty ladder<\/strong> (or\u00a0branding ladder).<\/p>\n

From Prospect to Customer<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Perhaps the hardest rung to climb is the first:\u00a0 motivating a prospect to make the first purchase and become a customer.<\/em> In my business as a Moderator and research professional, I attend a fair share of conferences to stay up to speed on the latest techniques and to build partnerships. As a result, I meet a lot<\/u> of people! Some are colleagues, but some are prospects \u2013 people I\u2019d love to join me on the loyalty ladder!<\/p>\n

Like everyone else, I leave each seminar with a briefcase full of business cards. But here\u2019s where relationship marketing comes in. Here\u2019s something I do:<\/p>\n