“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber
Photo by tallkev
I have been participating in the Customer Love Challenges for a while now. I haven’t done it right yet.
The goal is to show your customers so much love, for 28 days, that they can’t help but love you back – and then on Day 29, when you offer them something to buy, they will buy.
Because they love you.
Because they trust you.
But I haven’t yet gotten the teeth of the gears to mesh well enough so that I have delightful freebies and programs for my customers and something for them to buy at the end of the month.
What I do have, though, is a mindset. A willingness. An awareness.
What I have learned from these last several Customer Love Challenges is that if I approach this like a checklist, with the goal of getting them to love me so they’ll buy Buy BUY at the end, I feel like a mercenary. Do this and this and this, they will love me and they will buy from me. Bingo! Eureka!
Um, no.
That is not the message of Customer Love, but it would be easy to misinterpret the message of Customer Love.
That mindset I mentioned before? What I have learned, or been reminded of, is to walk in my customers’ shoes. To serve them. To be willing to earn their trust and loyalty by being honest and trustworthy. By being more myself.
So far I have gained self-knowledge and technical and procedural knowledge, and best of all are the friends I have made and support I have received.
With each Challenge I hone my message, and my offerings. I learn more, I make more progress, I make more friends. I become more myself. This journey, while not over, has been filled with Secret Destinations, and they are pretty spiffy.
Wiser people than I have been saying it for a long time, but it really is about the Journey, not just the Destination. And the Secret Destinations can be the best part.
Thank you for traveling with me!
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Not only is it all about the journey rather than just the destination, the journey is where the fun is. If all we do is hold out for that magic perfect finish we miss a huge number of good times. Take it one step at a time and celebrate the mini wins I say!
And never underestimate the power of getting comfy being yourself, be that online with this challenge or offline in the communications with have with people who come into our day. Personally I believe that the more ‘myself’ each of us can become, the better.
Hi El,
Yes, the journey is definitely where the fun is! “If all we do is hold out for that magic perfect finish we miss a huge number of good times.” Love that, thanks!
Hey Susan, I can totally relate to what you’re saying here. It’s something I’ve felt myself. I’ve been hanging out (mainly on the sidelines watching) for every customer love challenge starting from the first one.
Not only have I not “done the challenge right” – I haven’t wanted to. What I’m attracted to is the mindset. The idea of loving one’s customers. Like you say…the journey, rather than the destination. (And the community of fellow travelers.)
Hi Patty,
Yes, I’m also loving the community of fellow travelers! Glad you’re a part of it too. 🙂
I agree with what El and Patty K have been saying about finding fellow-travellers who inspire you and help you to move forward. That’s been a big bonus for me this challenge.
The other benefit I’ve noticed is that, because I’m working more on my business, I’m more in love with my business. And because I’m generally more in love with what I do, even though I’m not actually advertising any more than usual, people are coming!
Not only that, but in my personal life people are noticing that I’m more engaged – so I’m being contacted more frequently, and am having a more active social life too. That’s a benefit I could never have forseen from being a part of Customer Love. And yet it makes sense. If Customer Love is encouraging me to be more ‘me’, then everyone is going to notice!
Thanks, Susan, for giving me such a lot to think about today!
Jennifer, you are so welcome! And you’re right, enthusiasm is contagious. And attractive. 🙂