When I lived in Northeast Philadelphia, there was a small, family-owned produce stand on the corner opposite the apartment we lived in. Over the cashier, the following sign was prominently displayed:
“We’re grateful for all of our customers. Some when they enter. Some when they leave.”
I never thought the sign was all that funny, particularly since I wasn’t sure which group I fell into. The owners never went out of their way to connect with regulars like me, but the produce was decent and, more importantly, the stand was positioned right at the bus stop I used daily, making it easier to shop there than walking two blocks to the Pathmark. Essentially a transactional relationship of pure convenience.
Most businesses have the same type of relationship with their customers: very weak and easily broken ties, surviving merely out of habit or convenience. In some cases, like my patronage to Comcast, simply out of a lack of options or by contract. Such customers are easily wooed away by a competitor offering a slightly cheaper, faster, and better service or product. The customers of these businesses do NOT feel appreciated or valued. Quite the opposite.
Right now, we’re witnessing the rapid decline of Google as they lose market share to ChatGPT and other AI engines. Nobody will stay loyal to Google despite the fact that they provided a fantastic service for free for decades. There is zero loyalty because there is zero relationship. They are a utility, desperately making changes as rapidly as they can in an attempt to hold on to the empire they built. Will they survive? We’ll see …
This brings me to one of the most important principles of success in any business: the development of RAVING FAN clients who feel deeply appreciated and connected to you, your brand, and your team.
Very, very few MSPs I’ve consulted with have even simple strategies or systems in place to manufacture such relationships; and those that do often have very simple tactics, such as conducting QBRs or sending gifts to clients during the holidays.
And while these tactics are definitely a step in the right direction, there is a much richer and deeper level you can obtain. One that develops a significant emotional connection that runs deep and creates cult-like loyalty to the people you serve. Such “raving fan” customers (as we call them) would never consider leaving to go to another competitor. They are brand advocates that refer in abundance, volunteer their time to help you whenever asked, and overlook your imperfections and minor transgressions. They TRUST you implicitly, following your advice and not questioning your recommendations.
Such relationships don’t just happen by providing a “good” service or with simple tactics. You need to put serious thought into how this is done and work on connecting with them, understanding them and, most importantly, truly and honestly APPRECIATING them and the patronage they give you.
Back on my 50th birthday, I rented a private room at Bourbon Steak, a fantastic steakhouse that sits on the top of the JW Marriott in downtown Nashville. That evening, we dropped over $15,000 on the meal and tipped generously in cash on top of the required 18% they automatically added to the bill.
You would think, given the occasion and spend, I might receive a thank-you card or small gift as a token of appreciation at the end of the meal. You would think, given that this was one of many such private events I had booked that year, my name might go on a list they retain of big spenders, making sure that when I called to book a reservation, there was some level of recognition of whom they were talking to. You would think that on my 51st birthday, I might receive a simple email or even a phone call to see if I’d like to repeat the event. All of this is very basic customer service, easily executed on.
Yet NONE of this happened.
In fact, the few times I’ve called to try to get a reservation, there is ZERO recognition of who I am. I’m treated like any other common customer calling in to get a reservation. Sorry, we’re booked. Click. And because of this, I’ve not been back since.
Instead, I now go to Cork & Cow in downtown Franklin, where the waitstaff know me, welcome me back by name, remember my favorite wine, and ask if I’d like the usual appetizers. I routinely tip far above the norm and buy a round for the kitchen. When asked about a great restaurant, I tell all clients that is THE place to go.
None of this requires a huge marketing budget; only authentic gratitude for your customers and capable management to ensure it’s done consistently and correctly.
So, as you sit around the Thanksgiving table this week and think of all the people you are truly grateful for, don’t just say a quick “thanks” and move on. Make a commitment to put at least a little effort into demonstrating your gratitude, even if in a small way, to the customers you have who provide for you. A handwritten note. A phone call. A small gift.
If you have thousands of customers, you will have to settle for some level of automation and systems that are relatively generic, grouping clients based on spend and interaction, sending mostly generic gifts and notes.
But if you are only working with a couple of hundred clients (or fewer), you should not settle for broad brushstrokes and generic, cheap expressions of thanks, like the pathetic annual email on Thanksgiving week where you profess your deep appreciation. You should employ a person or a small team dedicated to knowing your clients, keeping track of conversations, events, and facts about them, and monitoring their activities and spend. A mama bear watching over her cubs.
And don’t be so foolish as to think this is “too expensive” or “too difficult” to do as a small business, believing that all that is required to keep your clients is to provide a good, consistent service. If you think this, you are ignorant of the cost in the form of lost sales, referrals, and retention. Big corporations can suffer customer losses for a long time before they fold, sloppily mishandling customer interactions. But in smaller businesses, there is much less room for error. Every dollar matters.
Never forget: The value of your business, and its profitability, growth, and stability, are based entirely on the quality of the community of clients you’ve gathered around your proverbial table and the relationship you have EARNED with them. If your relationship is merely held together by kindergarten craft paste and paperclips, you’re in a very, very dangerous place.
For more on gratitude as a marketing strategy, see Savannah Bananas’ Jesse Cole on the Five E’s to Create Raving Fans
