(Time to read this Blog article is about 60 seconds)
One of the biggest myths in business today is that there’s no such thing as customer loyalty anymore. The truth is that people are loyal, fiercely loyal, to what’s best for them…or what they assume is best for them. That’s it!
So, first we must do the work to be the ‘wise choice’ for our target customers. Then, we must prove it to them. People are cynical and confused. They’ve been lied to, let down and disappointed too many times. They want proof. Below is my list of 8 ways that you can prove your value or performance claims. They’re listed in descending order of credibility (in my opinion).
- Let them experience it themselves. ‘Test driving’, sampling.
- Live demonstrations or videos that show the function and value.
- Independent trusted research.
- You’ve won awards or competitions.
- Trusted referrals from key influencers.
- Comments from delighted customers / clients. This is where things like personal recommendations, social media and Google ‘stars’ are so important.
- A strong performance guarantee.
- Your advertising or sales claims.
So, which of these eight types of ‘proof’ can work for you? Which ones are you using? Which ones should you be using? The more proof you have, the more confidence you create, the more loyalty you’ll get…and the more business you’ll do.
A Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor recently told me that he had won the ‘People’s Choice’ award in his community for 6 years in a row, but had never bothered to put that on his website, his trucks, his business cards or his contract quotes. This is nuts. He had done the work to earn and receive some of the most powerful and believable proof of his value…and he did nothing with it. Don’t make this mistake. How will you prove to your target customers that you are the ‘wise choice’ for them?
If you’re not the ‘wise choice’ for your target customers, you have other work to do. Mediocrity is no longer an option. Then, get your proof and present it effectively.
