He could have lost me as a customer. But instead, he won me over as a follower.

 

​Kyle (not his real name) was offering training videos which I can watch on-line for a modest fee. So I gave one a try and enjoyed the learning… until the video kept on buffering in the middle. It remained stuck half-way no matter how many times I refreshed my device.

 

I told him of my frustration through private messaging. From the seen icon, I knew he read my complaint. He could have ignored me. Worse, he could have blamed my device or internet connection. Instead, he did something I never thought he would. He gave me a link through which I can download that video… free!

 

If Kyle were to offer me another product, would I buy from him again? You bet! That’s because Kyle did not see me as a peso sign, but as a person. He took his mission to help seriously. In short, he cared.

 

The paradigm is that, in selling, don’t look for customers. Create followers who will buy from you even when there is a better deal elsewhere. Here are three principles to do just that.

Don’t: Expect Loyalty.
Do: Earn loyalty.

 

When I was in sales and marketing, I used to tell my people: “It’s easy to get the first sale. The challenge is to get the repeat order.”

 

Loyalty is rarely bestowed upon you when your product or service is at par with your competitors. That’s why the passive order-taker will usually resort to gimmicks such as discounts and promos. The superior tactic is to do something pro-active and unexpected that touches the customer’s heart. Create an emotional bond with your client that your competitor will find hard to dislodge.

Don’t: Keep your customers waiting.
Do: Keep your followers raving.

 

A seen zone is a kill zone for future business. What if Kyle had seen my PM’s complaint and ignored it? I would have lost all appetite to buy from him again. But when he gave me that link, that was a WOW! moment for me.

 

It wasn’t about the video. It was about trust. He took a risk that I won’t spread that video around and hurt his future sales. I won’t, of course, but I felt honored which I will happily reciprocate by buying from him again.

Don’t: Think one-time.
Do: Think big-picture.

 

Imagine again had Kyle thought like these:

• I’m too busy to attend to it.
• What’s one dissatisfied customer? I have plenty of others.
• If I made it up to Nelson, it would cost me more than what I earn.

 

A popular statistic, attributed to Coca Cola in the 1980’s, says that a happy customer will tell three people, but an unhappy customer will tell ten. That’s nothing compared with today’s social media. Had I ranted about the bogged-down video in my Facebook, Kyle would have lost not just me, but my 1,000+ friends.

 

Conversely, that downloadable video was a modest investment that not only rewarded him with my wholehearted testimonial, but my interested peers as well.

 

With buyers bombarded by all sorts of offers and deals through digital channels, you need to stand out. When you do something wonderful and unexpected, you will make them ask you “What else do you have?”

 

This article was first published on LinkedIn. Connect with me for the latest articles.

Photo by Sebastian Hermann, Unsplash

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You may have heard of the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Joseph was his dad’s favorite boy but was despised by his brothers, who sold Joseph as a slave in Egypt.

 

While in Egypt, Joseph was doing very well for his boss, Potiphar. But Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him and Joseph resisted her sexual advances. Incensed, the wife accused Joseph of attempted rape and Potiphar threw him in jail. But rather than becoming bitter, he still used his God-given talents to serve others, even in such an undesirable place like a dungeon.

 

Later, Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, had two dreams, which Joseph interpreted as a warning sign that a severe famine would befall the land. Joseph recommended that the Egyptians should hoard a massive amount of food to sustain them during this terrible period. Pharaoh liked Joseph’s interpretation and advice so much that he immediately appointed Joseph as his second-in-command to oversee the food storage project.

 

I do not know what is your situation at work.

Are you a factory worker toiling in heat and obscurity?

Or a schoolteacher wondering whether you are making an impact on your students?

Or a salesman struggling to clinch that next deal?

Or a call-center agent enduring the grind of the graveyard shift?

 

I doubt Joseph saw his being a slave and prisoner as “Boy, this is great career training.” Yet he was faithful to the smaller yet significant responsibilities – even if it was in a place of pain!

 

Whatever your status, take heart. Give your best today. Excellence builds upon itself and soon, it won’t go unnoticed. Rather than whine about not being given the big breaks, cultivate a grateful heart that you have an arena where you can showcase your unique personality and abilities.

 

Joseph used his God-given gifts “in the hidden places, among forgotten people.” But it became his prelude to greatness.

So can we.

Photo by Xtra, Inc. on Unsplash

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Had the first man not given up too soon, he would be rich beyond his wildest dreams.

 

A man was strolling through his land and found a nugget of gold on the ground. Excitedly, he grabbed a shovel and began digging around. He dug dozens of pits. He dug wide and he dug deep. But instead of more gold, he only uncovered more dirt.

 

Fatigued and disgusted, he sold his hole-ridden property to someone else.

 

The new owner took a closer look at one of the holes. Out of curiosity, he dug a few inches further down and discovered what turned out to be a rich vein of gold. Had the first man not given up too soon, he would be rich beyond his wildest dreams.

 

Too often we struggle with problems and pressures and, like that disgusted owner, we give up. But we may miss out the “gold” that comes with sticking it out.

 

I am not saying that there are no circumstances under which we quit. I am saying that we think carefully before we do. Don’t sacrifice what may be a good place right now in favor of the temporary relief of surrender.

 

​If today you want to raise the white flag, don’t. Hang in there.
Persevere. Keep the faith. You’ll be glad you did.

Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

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