Know Your Customer

Imagine walking into your favorite store. The owner greets you by name. Asks how your spouse is doing. Inquires about new events in your life. They get to know their customer.

You’d be pretty impressed, wouldn’t you?

This is the type of service I love to receive from the stores I visit. Personal, friendly, hometown.

There’s two places locally that I receive this type of service.

The first is an old-time candy shop called Lakeside Emporium. It’s run by Gary and Lori. Whenever we walk into the store, a few things happen.

  • We’re greeted by name
  • If my wife is not with me (or I’m not with her) they will ask us where she is and how she’s doing
  • They ask if I want my regular treat. That would be a bear claw for me
  • They make small talk with us

The other place is Laughing Tree Bakery. They come to our local farmers market to sell bread and cookies. Their booth is always packed. Sometimes going back 50 feet or more. We got hooked on Treehuggers and Expedition cookies. They’re just that good!

Anyways, Charlie is the man. He’s always willing to take a few minutes to talk to us about life. He remembers events and adventures we’ve taken. Our most recent was a trip to Maine. The interest he shows in our lives is invigorating.

Why’s this important to you?

When you show your tribe members attention, and that you remember who they are, they will become loyal to you. It’s what brings us back to these two places time after time.

You can apply the same type of personal attention to your tribe members.

  • Begin taking time to get to know one or two personally. Recognize them by their avatar. If it changes, give them a shout-out. Shoot them an email or two. Let them know that they’re important to you.
  • Craft messages that speak directly to that person. They’re be shocked and amazed that you called them out. You’re returning the good will they’ve given you by visiting your blog and subscribing to receive updates.
  • Give your best tribe members special deals. Inform them of deals before everyone else. Give them the opportunity to test new products. Trust will build when they see you’re doing special things just for them.
  • Pass out samples liberally. Keep giving your customers little tidbits that make them want more. At the candy shop, they’re willing to give out samples for almost any treat they carry. They know once they get a taste of that great treat, you’ll want more.

Take the time today to focus on a couple of special customers today. Build the relationships that will keep readers coming back for more.

Question: How do you show your tribe members that they’re special? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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