To succeed in business, clarify who are your On-Purpose customers.
In honor of April being Customer Loyalty Month, here are a few thoughts about serving your customers.
Who are your On-Purpose Customers? They are the ones who rave about you because you’re serving them AND doing more of what you do best more profitably. In any business, the right customers, like
the right employees, are predictable, loyal, and profitable. Consistently engaging On-Purpose Customers is the key to ongoing company profitability and the benefits of mutual loyalty.
There are three types of customers:
- Shoppers: They shop for deals and have no particular loyalty or brand preference.
- Customers: Customers return to do business with you, but the relationship isn’t special yet.
- Advocates: These are loyal, identify with your brand, and rave about you. Many actively recruit and refer friends and associates.
In the restaurant and bar businesses, there’s a term known as "The Regulars." These are the people, for example, who show up every Friday night at about the same time and order just about the same meal and drinks to the person. The manager, wait staff, and the Regulars often know one another by name, and certainly by sight. Regulars bring friends to their favorite place. They recommend and refer.
Every customer is to be treated respectfully, but the Regulars naturally get that extra personal touch. On-Purpose Customers have the potential to become predictable, loyal, and profitable Regulars. Build the company to attract and retain On-Purpose Customers. Think of Regulars in terms of the lifetime value of the customer plus referrals from friends, neighbors, and family members.