Advantages of Investing in Customer Loyalty and Engagement

Having the best product on the market doesn't guarantee that your company will be at the top of customer satisfaction. That's why it's essential to apply loyalty strategies.

Have you ever realised that when you get into an argument to defend a brand you like, you're actually arguing about the advantages and benefits and pointing out all the possible flaws of the competing brand? (For example: smartphones, cars, household appliances and even airlines).

This happens to a lot of people, but what could have happened for such a brand to have such admiration and be defended so hard by you, who are just a consumer?

Well, it's very likely that this passion you feel has been achieved by the brand through the creation of unique and positive experiences, where the brand's main focus is certainly people and not just its products.

Those who have succeeded in having an "army of spokespeople" for their brand have realised that keeping a loyal customer is more cost-effective than winning over a new one. What's more, loyal customers generate a significant percentage of profitability for the company and also provide incredible "word of mouth" marketing.

But how do you sell loyalty and engage customers at this level?

Having the best product on the market won't guarantee that your company will be at the top of customer satisfaction. Keep an eye on this self-confidence, it won't be a problem as long as you don't treat this point as sufficient and give due attention to all the other parts of the process.

Don't forget that any product or service can be copied or even improved. Thus, a company that focuses all its efforts on providing the best product/service to the market, without trying to satisfy the real needs of its customers, may be surprised by the competition, which will certainly be looking to reinvent its process.

Below are 7 tips for building loyalty and delighting your customers, and taking the right steps towards your company's success:

1. Be aligned with your brand positioning. Being coherent is fundamental to generating trust between the customer and the brand when it comes to customer service.
2. Know the features and benefits of your products/services. Be aware of the market. Most of the time, customers come to you having done some research beforehand. So even if you don't know the answer to a question, show interest and willingness to look up the information and answer the customer later.
3. Take care of your appearance, verbal/body language and try to offer your customer a consultative and differentiated service.
4. Make an assertive and sustainable sale as a result of a real identification of needs, thus reducing the chances of losing the sale and/or the customer.
5. Recognise your target audience and be strategic. There's no point in wanting to embrace the world and not be able to attract your potential customers. Study their behaviour, identify what they are looking for and what they expect from your products/services. To do this, recognise the value of tools such as customer service, ombudsman, market research, marketing segmentation, among others.
6. Value those who have become loyal to your brand. You should endeavour to reward this customer profile with actions to keep them with you on an ongoing and lasting basis. Differentiated strategies for "VIP" treatment can generate great results, as can loyalty programmes and seasonal promotions.
7. Always monitor action, reaction and results. You won't be able to improve what you don't measure, so realising what is working and keeping up to date will help you devise assertive strategies.

Within each of these 7 tips, it is essential that listening is always active. The excellence of your results will depend on your ability to listen carefully to everyone involved in the process.