Advocates Are More Than Just Customers

Advocates are integral to accelerated business growth. They are the customers that derive so much value from your work that they willingly and publicly support and recommend you.

No More Customers

So has Jill finally lost it? I’m advising professional salespeople like you, whose primary mission is to bring in bigger better business each year, that you don’t want more customers!

I am not losing my marbles. I know that you are mandated to, and compensated for, bringing in new customers.

I simply want to shake up your definition of “customer” in a way that will enable you to grow your sales faster.

The Definition of Customer Loyalty

The CEO of one of my US clients in the finance sector proudly cited his company’s enviable 95% customer loyalty factor.

Meaning 95% of his customers continue to do business with his company on an annual basis. Impressive.

After listening to him talk further I had to ask the question, “Do you know what percentage of your customers are truly loyal and how many are simply long-term repeat buyers?”

I wasn’t trying to burst his bubble. His statement had simply got me thinking about the definition of “customer loyalty”.

Repeat Buyers Are Not Always Loyal Customers

As an example… my business has used the same phone company since the day I opened my doors.

Despite jaw-dropping financial incentives from their competition over the past 12 years, and enticing “bundling” discounts from my mobile provider, I stubbornly stay true to my original landline provider.

In their eyes, I am a loyal customer. But nothing could be further from the truth.

If anyone were to ask me to recommend this company my response, depending on the day, would range from being downright negative to offering an apathetic, “I guess they’re OK for a phone company.”

I’m satisfied with them when all is running well. But when I hit a technical snag, a billing error, or any kind of dissatisfaction that requires me to call into their customer service center, my perspective shifts.

The experience is inevitably one that has me ranting with frustration… and usually to myself as I grow old waiting to speak to a human being who, as it turns out, is neither willing nor able to do anything of real value.

Fear and Loyalty Are Not The Same

So if I feel this way, why won’t I switch phone companies?

The “F” word of course. Fear. As in, fear that the “promise” of a seamless transition to the “other guys” will result in the interruption of my business.

Or fear that the devil you know is about as good as it gets.

Fear that the promise of perfect service and cost savings will disappear abruptly once the 12-month honeymoon period is over.

So why go through the hassle?

I’m a long-term customer. I am not, however, loyal.

On a satisfaction scale of 1- 10, I probably fluctuate between 4 and 7. Like my phone company, you have customers all along the satisfaction scale.

Opposers

At the bottom, you’ll find your “opposers”. Thankfully most of us have few, if any, of these.

They derive very little satisfaction from your product/service but, for reasons not unlike those I’ve shared, they continue to do business with you. Some will eventually leave.

Regardless of whether they choose to remain hostages or to leave, they act in opposition to you… making it difficult to foster a mutually rewarding relationship.

To make matters worse, they sour others’ opinions of you.

Customers

Moving up to the middle of the scale you have customers at varying degrees of satisfaction. I refer to this area as a “rich pool of prospects” for your competition.

Simply put, these customers are vulnerable.

It takes one savvy competitor to do a solid job of understanding and acting on their unfulfilled needs, interests, and perceived switching costs… and then use this information to position themselves to be a more relevant provider.

The customer leaves, usually silently, without notice, and out the back door.

Vulnerability diminishes as you head up to 9 and 10 on the scale.

Advocates

Here sit your advocates: the customers that derive so much value from your work that they willingly and publicly support and recommend you, as well as give you feebdack.

Advocates are not only nice to have, they are integral to accelerated business growth.

Advocates Are:

• Willing to refer you to others to others if you ask and even when you don’t.
• An enthusiastic source of high-value testimonials that you can use to build credibility in your sales messages, presentations, and proposals.
• Likely to buy more from you and pay your fair market value.
• Willing to give you more time and share information that enables you to stay ahead of your competitors and be advantageously positioned to win.
• Forgiving of your boo-boos, provided you take responsibility and pull out all the stops to minimize the damage.

Earn Their Loyalty

Aiming to acquire new customers is a fundamental goal. But it’s not enough. Your objective for the year should be to acquire and create advocates.

Proactively focus on doing the right things to earn their loyalty and they will help grow your business with greater ease and speed. Plus, working with an advocate is a heck of a lot more fun.

Three Questions I Asked My Client:

1. Realistically, what percentage of your customers are loyal (advocates), and what percentage are long-term customers vulnerable to the advances of smart, hungry competitors?
2. What do you need to do to move more of your customers up the satisfaction scale to advocacy?
3. How are you currently leveraging your existing advocates to identify and connect with qualified new buyers?

Meet buyers wherre they are using the techniques in our FREE Virtual Selling Video Sales Call Checklist. Master virtual selling techniques that allow you to separate from your competitors and make virtual selling more human