Moving from psychology to relationship (in effect, loyalty)

A consumer’s initial purchase is his first interaction with you. This interaction

determines whether he’ll return. Even though he may not become a commit-

ted loyal customer on the first visit, it definitely sets the stage for whether

he’ll ever become a committed loyal customer of yours in the future. A com-

mitted relationship with consumers is based on the following building blocks:

 ✓ Communication: You and the consumers “speak the same language” and

are able to understand one another. Communication is key; if consumers

feel that you don’t understand them or that you aren’t listening to them,

it could detour them from ever coming back.

 ✓ Competence: Consumers view your company as knowledgeable and

capable. They want to be able to trust your expertise and know that

what you’re telling them is true.

 ✓ Customer orientation: The strong relationships with your customers

have filtered down to other staff members. You can be the owner of the

company and treat every customer with respect and great service, but

if your staff members don’t, they can do damage to the work that you’ve

done. Their lack of respect can even sever the relationship. You can’t be

the only one in your company who understands the importance of cus-

tomer loyalty, so hire carefully and provide training.

 ✓ Equity: You and the consumers both see equity in your exchanges, and

you’re also able to equitably resolve conflicts. Consumers want to know

that you value them as much as they value you. They also want to feel as

if you have the same interest in resolving their problems as they do.

 ✓ Personalization: You treat the customers as individuals. You may even

know their names. Even if you don’t know their names, they want to feel

as if they’re important to you. They don’t want to just be another sale.

Consumers enter businesses daily where no one pays attention to them.

It’s out of the norm for someone to give them the attention they’re look-

ing for, so if you can do that, you’ll make them want to be loyal to you.

 ✓ Trust: You and the consumers both depend on each other. Consumers

love to purchase from people that they can trust. If they can trust you,

they will feel safe in taking your advice and getting your feedback

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