How orange jelly beans can create fantastic customer loyalty
In this day and age customer loyalty can make or break a business. Service based or product based, if you don’t build genuine relationships with your customers, they will just go elsewhere. You need to pay attention to your customers smallest desires and you will have them for life.
The rise of social media can make it feel like we have relationships with our customers or clients, but we all know how much bullshit we see on social media and how little honesty we see.
I mean do we see the 27 photos it took to get the perfect selfie, do we see the ugg boots I am wearing when I work from home, do we see the amount of dry shampoo keeping my hair together on a daily basis. No – mainly as those things don’t really relate to my performance or my work, but you get the picture. Social media means we generally know only a small part about a business owner, and even less about our customers.
“So how on earth do orange jelly beans create brand loyalty you ask? Well I am getting to that hold your horses.”
As a business owner I am always on the look out for service providers to help my business. Thankfully now I have built up a little posse of trusted people – from graphic designers, to website wonders, to social media experts, to organisers, to stylists, to photographers – you name it and I have a list of people I can call on, engage their services and know the end result will be amazing. I know how they work, they know how I work and the job is just super easy as we are on the same page.
I work in that same way with our clients. You need to understand your clients on more than just a business level. Know which tea they drink, which beer they like, how many kids they have, what their partner/husband/wife’s name is, where they are gong on holiday. Not in a stalkerish way – but in a “now we have something to talk about that is not just 100% business” way.
“By taking the time out to understand if they like orange jelly beans and not red jelly beans makes a world of difference. It shows you listened to such a trivial piece of information, so surely you will listen to the important information.”
Recently, a client gave us some awful medical news. Knowing full well that I don’t cope with emotional issues well over the phone, the first thing I did was jump online that same afternoon and ordered a gift hamper from Feel Better Box. No questions, no should I shouldn’t I – our client trusted us with sensitive information and I genuinely wanted her to know we were thinking about her. It is my way of saying “we are here for you – whatever the situation”. The client was blown away that we cared enough to send something, but for me it was just the only option. Our relationship goes beyond business and she was totally worthy of a little “pick me up”.
Recently, the roles were reversed. I have been going through a tough few weeks and we are finally out the other side. ATO lodgements, business growth, making time for myself (or should I say totally neglecting myself and getting horribly sick during the busiest time of the year), missing a few things because of said deadlines/sickness and in all the goings on – I posted a small (insignificant) comment on social media about how I only eat orange jelly beans. Because let’s face it, the other colors are gross and taking up valuable space in the bag which could just be filled with luscious orange jelly beans.
Well lo and behold, a week later, what arrives on my door step but a box containing nothing but orange jelly beans from the team at Business Chicks. They listened to what I like, they saw I was going through a rough patch and that delivery of orange jelly beans made my day. Well it is still making my day as whenever I eat a handful, it seriously brings a smile to my face that someone went the extra mile. Not because they were asked to or told to do it, not because it was in their job description, but because they genuinely wanted to.
And that folks, is how orange jelly beans create brand loyalty and customers for life. If someone is wiling to understand what jelly beans I like, then surely they are there for those really shit business moments. Surely they are there to give me a bit of “you got this” advice. Surely they are there to clap when things are bloody rosey and we all know we need a cheer squad whilst trying to survive the entrepreneurial roller coaster. And surely they won’t judge me for my mistakes.