Brand loyalty is the holy grail for marketers. Building a relationship so strong with a consumer that he goes out of his way to buy your product is the key to success. We know that it’s far more cost-effective (about seven times less expensive!) to retain a customer than to find and cultivate a new one, yet so many businesspeople fail to invest in this hidden treasure. They make assumptions that one purchase will lead to another, ignorant to all the threats and challenges that could alter the relationship—whether it from a more aggressive suitor/competitor or the customer’s dissatisfaction with your product or service.
Loyalty is an emotion. It comes from the trust that is built over time. A single purchase cannot instill that level of commitment. Brand loyalty arises from a relationship where you continue to deliver quality, in the form of service and personal attention after the sale. You build a loyal customer when you call a few months after your happy customer made the purchase to see if your buyer is, in fact, still happy. You inquire as to anything further you can do.
You nurture loyalty by exceeding expectations—and in a culture where most people fail to live up to their word, all you need to do to exceed expectations is to actually deliver what you’ve promised!
Loyalty is not an entitlement. It is the result of being the best you can be. And remaining committed to your customer’s 100% satisfaction is not just smart business, but a moral obligation.
