Day 1: Let The Loving Begin

Okay, then!

Time to start the Make Customers Love You Challenge. In case you missed all the hoopla on Twitter or the previous blog posts, this challenge is inspired by Naomi Dunford’s great blog post, “Make Them Love You. THEN Ask For Money.” I hope you’ll join me.

For 28 days, we are going to be, as Naomi urges, “ridiculously awesome.” We are going to make customers love us — by loving them.

Spend 28 days being insanely active on Twitter or Facebook or your local small biz networking scene. Spend 28 days making killer contacts on LinkedIn or at the local flower shops or a few select forums. Spend 28 days loudly creating tactical, useful content on your blog or YouTube or, hell, Facebook notes.

Make friends as if your life depended on it. Be helpful. Give lots of shoutouts. Send link love. Generally be the nicest, coolest, smartest kid in school.

And on the 29th day, we will — what? Launch our products? If that’s what you have in mind, absolutely. But you may have another goal, like increasing your subscribers or followers. Up to you. For me, the goal is to cover my latest car repair and medical bills, so that means launching something.

This week, it’s all about loving the customers you already have.

But before we do that, think about where you want to be 28 days from now. Do you want to have a product ready to launch on the 29th day? Do you want a certain number of subscribers? Be specific. Start thinking about creating a day by day plan — work backwards from the end of the month and what you want to have by then. There will be daily action prompts, but only you know your goal.

Then, come here to the comments for ideas and support, to share your own ideas and progress, to get and share encouragement, and to blow off steam. Or use the hashtag #customerlove to find us on Twitter. If you leave a comment below with your Twitter handle, I’ll add it to the customerlove Twitter list.

Oh yes, before you go off on today’s quest, I have an announcement:

The brilliant and handsome @DavidCrandall of Heroic Destiny [who IMHO was separated at birth from Leonardo DiCaprio] has kindly offered to help me with the challenge! We will be alternating blog posts, so you’ll hear from him tomorrow. I’ve been really impressed with David’s writing and ideas, and I think you will be too.

We also have a guest post lined up and hope to have more soon. And we’re cooking up at least one cool surprise — it’s so much fun to have a co-conspirator! :)

Are you ready? Let’s do this!

Photo credit

Kriszia

Awesome start, Lavonne! Can’t wait to see the surprise. Day One, here we go!
http://www.heroicdestiny.com David Crandall

I’m super excited about this! I love being able to consipire…er, collaborate with someone on something that is going to be so awesome. What a great message to inspire people through love instead of obligation or constant frustration.

Looking forward to the next 28 days!
Anonymous

Count me in – @susanTblake
Josh Crocker

Leonardo Decaprio, eh? This’ll be fun!

I’m in! :)

- Josh
http://www.pattyk.com Patty K

You know…it’s one thing to read something and say: “Wow. What a great idea, I should do that!” and quite another to actually DO IT. You inspire me. Way to go!
http://twitter.com/abbykerr Abby Kerr

LaVonne {& David} –

Excellent followthrough, you two! With so many potential great ideas floating around out there in the blogosphere, it’s passion-inciting when someone actually *grabs* onto one, starts a movement, and commits publicly to making it happen. I am with you 100%. And this was a great, warm & welcoming intro post.

– Abby
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

So glad you could join us, Kriszia – and thanks so much for the encouragement and enthusiasm. It’s contagious, you know. :)
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Awesome – so glad you’re jumping in!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

28 days of LOVE. Brings back memories of the Summer of Love, but we won’t go there!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Totally fun, thanks for joining us!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Woohoo — kinda scary, but what a high! Knowing me, there’s a crash around the corner, but I know you guys will pick me up and dust me off, lol.
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Abby, I can’t thank you enough for connecting me with David. He is a godsend, and so are you!
http://www.everydaybright.com Jen Gresham

Sure, go ahead and add me to the list: @JenGresham

Look forward to seeing where this goes. Great initiative!
http://twitter.com/twtBrandon Brandon

This is a spectacular idea! I would love to be a part of it.
http://twitter.com/VARLabs VelAwesomeRaptorLabs

Sounds like a great idea! Count @VARLabs in!
http://www.flyingcoloursmaths.co.uk Colin

OK, @icecolbeveridge’s hat is officially in the ring. 28 days from now is September 27th, right? I’m a math[s] tutor and I plan to have an integration e-book/course written and ready to go on sale – and a list to sell it to.

So I’d love any posterior-kicking, encouragement and help anyone cares to deliver. And will gladly do the same for others.
http://www.BeAwesomeOnline.com Catherine Caine

I’m so proud of you, chickadee. Well done for running with the idea!
Anonymous

Yay!
This is totally crazy timing because I’m getting ready for my biggest craft show (uh, ever!) in about a month from now (9/24) which usually involves retreating to my spinning wheel and yet…I can’t help it, I want to love on my people even more.
Still thinking over how this is going to work, but I’ll be checking in!

Oh, and I’m @blondechicken on Twitter.
http://www.seamstoyou.com Sylvia

All right, you convinced me! I do need to get a grip on certain things in my professional and writing life, and with a team like this, how can I go wrong???
Thanks for launching this project— @sews4dollars
Sylvia
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LaVonne Ellis

Welcome to the challenge, Sylvia! I’ll add you to the #customerlove Twitter list. Looking forward to seeing how it goes!
LaVonne Ellis

It’s you! Loving that you want to love on your people. I wonder how it’s gonna work for me too, but that’s part of the fun!
LaVonne Ellis

Woot – so much fun! Thank you, mama chick!
LaVonne Ellis

In the U.S. it’s the 27th, but for those down under, it’s the 28th. Your ebook and list plan sounds awesome. Posterior-kicking, encouragement and help coming up!
LaVonne Ellis

Yay, thanks for joining us!
LaVonne Ellis

*jumping up & down and clapping with glee* Can’t wait to see what everyone does with this. :D
LaVonne Ellis

Whoopee!
http://twitter.com/eagledove11 eagledove11

Hi LaVonne …(also known as the amazing, wise, humourous, caring & helpful lady!!)…

Feel a tad silly as I signed on (so to speak) with your challenge purely because it was you leading it and knew whatever it would be, it was going to be great!!
Oh durrh!! Then decided maybe I should actually read up a little more on it!!

(I’m always behind the 8 Ball !)

And so I am… have even taken up (your) Evernote idea so I can help my self remember what I need too!

It’s a great idea you’ve had (with all respect to Naomi as well!) for this to become a public challenge. And is exactly what I need …to develop some self discipline, push myself out of my safe little square and overcome procrastination !!!

Yay! Yay!
Thank you Thank you!!
As I don’t quite fit into the category of having customers or business, I’m now off to do some further thinking !!
warm regards as always!
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http://www.facebook.com/maryeulrich Mary E. Ulrich

Looking forward to the next month of action steps. I’m a Virgo so the planets should be aligned for success, right? Sept. should be a lucky month.

We are putting our condo up for sale this weekend, so my goal is to sell it and then find a ranch. Today’s task is to get ready for the real tors who are coming tomorrow. clean my office and throw out one box of “stuff”. Not sure that meets your “spreading the love” criteria. Hope that works for a goal.

On my blog, moving is a pretty off-topic goal, not sure how i can find a slant to make it fit into a blog post–is that what you are thinking about?
I do have a conference call today with Lee Stranahan to talk about monetizing the blog. So that’s a start. But I can’t think of a product anyone would want.

LaVonne, is this what you are talking about?
http://www.wilsonusman.com/ Wilson Usman

I’m on the wagon too, peep! peep!
LaVonne Ellis

Yay, Wilson!!! Tell us your evil plan!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Hey Mary, so glad you’re joining us! What you mention isn’t exactly what we’re talking about but that doesn’t matter. Do whatever makes sense to you. I’m not big on rules. The main thing is to spread the love.
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Oh man, I really need to start using Evernote. I keep sending stuff there, but I never remember to go see what I’ve got. I think I’m a lost cause in that regard.

Thanks so much for joining the challenge, and don’t worry if you feel like you’re not getting it right. We’re just making it up as we go along, lol!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Yay, Sylvia!!! Love your Twitter background, lol.
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

You know, I could swear that I replied to you yesterday, but I don’t see my comment on the site. Disqus must be acting up again. But in case you didn’t get it:

Yay! So glad you decided to jump in! And I LOVE that you want to love on your people. That’s what I want to do too.
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

I know! Isn’t it awesome? People just want a reason to share the love. So cool!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Woohoo! Thanks for jumping in!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Posterior-kicking, encouragement and help coming up! I LOVE your math course idea.
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Welcome, Jen. Thanks so much for joining us!
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Yay, Brandon! You’ve been added to the Twitter list!
http://luminousheart.com Mahala

LaVonne, I’m happy you’re doing this. Naomi’s post resonated with me, too. But the biggest thought in my mind was “Yes, and just how do I do that?” Then of course my mind wandered off to other things. So glad yours didn’t.

A few days before Naomi’s post, I put up a registration page for a new program. It starts in October. 28 days is perfect timing.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Michelle-Littler/1339196806 Michelle Littler

way to get me inspired!! i’m ready
#littletoad1
http://completeflake.com/ LaVonne Ellis

Yay — so glad you decided to join us! Let me know if you have any
questions.

@LaVonneEllis
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Day 1: Let The Loving Begin

This week, it’s all about loving the customers you already have.

Oh yes, before you go off on today’s quest, I have an announcement:

Are you ready? Let’s do this!

Want to help me hit the road?

Click to see the Road Trip Amazon Wishlist.