Marketing Lessons from Grandad: Lesson #3. If you come home with a hair on your coat…

You better have the horse to match!  A cowboy in his youth, Grandad often repeated that quote with a twinkle in his eye.  As much as he enjoyed the humor of it, he was completely serious.  He married his teenage sweetheart at 19, and they celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary just 3 months before he passed away.  Loyalty was not just a word or a good idea to Grandad – it was a way of life.

It’s easy to think about customer loyalty (or lack thereof), but what about loyalty to the customer?  What did you promise them when they chose you over your competitors?  Are you going the extra mile to deliver on those claims?  Doing so is sure to inspire loyalty while making promises you cannot keep will likely do the opposite.

Sometimes we’re quick to forget about our customers, members, or subscribers that have already invested their time, attention, and/or money in our products or services.  We tend to focus on the new sale and increasing our reach leaving our current clients to fend for themselves.  Ironically, securing and increasing their loyalty could be just the ticket to getting that next sale whether through selling new services to the client or recommendations from that client to new potential customers.

Delight your existing customers.  Market specifically to them based on their needs and wants.  Be loyal to your customers the way you want them to be loyal to you and just maybe you’ll never have to wonder about a hair on their coat.

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