Theodore Roosevelt once said:
“No one will care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
This statement is true in many facets of life — the business world being no exception.
In fact, when it comes to personal branding, creating relationships and building trust is vital and imperative for success.
Once you have created relationships with your customers and you have earned their trust, you will also gain their loyalty.
This is a huge advantage.
Once you gain loyalty, you could have a customer for life.
Below are a few specific ideas for how you can build relationships and create brand loyalty:
1. Offering returning customers a discount on services.
Everyone loves a good deal. Therefore, when a customer returns to you, it is a good idea to reward them for coming back. This doesn't have to be a huge discount; it can just be a percentage off of their bill.
However, simply acknowledging that you appreciate their business and are thankful they are coming back to you is a great way to encourage loyalty.
2. Giving rewards for referrals.
Giving your current customers rewards for referring other customers to you is yet another way to show your current customers you appreciate their business. It also helps build up your customer database quickly.
3. Offering updates.
On your Facebook or Twitter page, you can post updates about your business and even your personal life — if you are comfortable with that.
This will make your customers feel like they know you. They will have the inside scoop, a behind-the-scenes look at what you are dealing with on any given day.
As a result, you suddenly become more human to them. This is important because appearing as a human in their eyes instead of a big, cold, heartless company is key to relationship building.
Consequently, it’s crucial to personal branding as well. Updating your social-media accounts or website is a great way to humanize yourself.
4. Really caring about your customers.
Your customers will see through any fake expressions on your part. Therefore, when you aim to build relationships with your customers, be sure that you actually do care about their well-being. By treating your customers well, you will be amazed at how willing they become to support your business.
Building relationships and personal branding are intertwined. You simply can’t have one without the other. Your work to build lasting relationships with your customers will pay dividends in regards to the growth of your personal brand.
NOT A LOYAL CUSTOMER ANYMORE…
A computer was shot eight times in a back alley in Colorado Springs. The man who executed it with a handgun told police officers who responded to a report of gunfire that the pair had been “fighting” for months.
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, “the computer is not expected to recover.” The assailant did not realize that murdering an electronic device was illegal, and was issued a citation for firing a gun inside the city.
This article was originally published under my column at Entrepreneur Magazine here.
