People Want To Be Part Of Something Bigger Than Themselves

In his blog today, Seth Godin asked the question, "Do you have Customers or Members?" It's short, sweet, and to the point - as he always is. The article is basically pointing out that if you are good enough to get customers to sign up to become members of your "world" they will become more than just customers - they will become members of your coalition.

Sorry, I'm neither short nor sweet, but I will get straight to the point.

The reason people want to join memberships (especially on the web) is that deep down they ache to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to feel like they belong to a group of individuals that believe what they believe, act the way they act and feel the way they feel.

We all belong to some group or another. You have your family (rooted in your name or your lineage), you have the school you attended (and the year you graduated), you have your Generation (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, etc). You have your Ford truck owners, your Chevy truck owners, GMC truck owners and now, you have your Toyota truck owners. You have your Apple computer users and your PC computer users. The list goes on forever. Some of these memberships are formal - others aren't so. But don't kid yourself, the allegiance is often stronger than you can imaging.

What memberships do you have?

Takes Customer Loyalty To A Whole New Level

When your customers begin to treat you as if they are in a group - because they believe in what your business or product is all about - you have reached a new level of loyalty. You have moved from just having customers to cheerleaders and raving fans.

So, how do you turn your customers from thinking of themselves as only customers to thinking of themselves of members of an elite group. Simple, create the elite group - and make it worth being in. If you envision it and communicate that vision to the world, others will follow. It may not be a million or even a thousand, but I'll bet it's more than one. But even one is a start.

People will subscribe - they will join. Not because you created it. It's not a "If you build it, they will come" thing. It's a lot more than that. They will join because they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They want to FEEL like they aren't alone in the world - even know they know consciously they aren't.

People aren't actively looking for things to join, but when your words or ideas appeal to them, and you give them a chance or even invite them to become a part of future dreams - they will join you.

And when they become a member of your group - you will gain a level of commitment and support the likes you've never seen before.

So, set a goal today to build a subscription based club in your business. Think about what you can provide to make it worthwhile to them to join - what separates you and your vision from the rest of your competition.

And of course, most importantly, just make it so!

Upgrade Your Best Customers To "First Class"

When it comes to how most Airlines treat customer service, there isn't very much there worth emulating. They are big, most of their customer service reps seem disenfranchised, and quite honestly, they are stuck in a rut where they don't feel they can meet customer expectations anyway. But there is one aspect of customer service they do very well - the way they take care of their "best customers".

Most people don't realize the lengths that Airlines go to take care of their best customers - because "most people" don't fly often enough to really capitalize on the perks. Sure they get "miles" on their trip to visit family or when they vacation to Cancun - but few fly often enough to gain access to the top rewards programs. Good or bad, those of us business travelers who spend hours and hours in airports flying from meeting to meeting, week in and week out, the perks that are offered by the big Airlines are very nice - and enough to drive customer loyalty, in a business that otherwise has none.

What is it that they do for their best customers? More than anything, they make them feel important - like they really care that they are flying on their airline. Something that doesn't come out so well in the rest of the flying experience.

Have you ever been upgraded to First Class - randomly pulled out of the crowd to see with the "elite"? For their best customers, First Class upgrades are common place - sometimes as often as 60-75% of the time (if they schedule their routes smartly). And "First Class" treatment goes well beyond the big seat. It is an entire attitude and way they treat their "elite" customers.

I know what you are thinking. This is great stuff, but your business isn't like the airline industry. You don't have the ability to offer anything like "First Class" to your customers. It would cost too much and disenfranchise your other customers. This could be true, but the same could be said for the Airline Industry as well.

Surveys show that most customers don't leave a business because they are dissatisfied with their experience. Instead, most (nearly 70%) leave because they don't feel the business cares about them and whether or not they ever come back. And it has been shown that one of the best ways to show how much you care is to offer more "perks" to your best customers - give them value above and beyond what they expected.

Frankly, in an industry where most "tickets" are purchased based on price alone, most Airlines have built-in a system where the travelers who fly the most, actually go out of their way to choose the same Airline again and again - often without even shopping around for other fares. I know I do.

One way to do this in your business is to start offering higher end service in your business model - something like first class. That could be faster delivery, same day service, special seating, or even "head of the line" privileges. Will some people pay for it? Absolutely - they always will. If you build a product and market it to the right target audience (those that have the need for the service), someone will always want the "best" service you offer. Once you have this high end service in place (and quite honestly making more money from it), you can start to offer that service as a perk for your best customers - let them get a taste of the "good life". And watch them find ways to patronize you. . . again and again. The key to the success of a process like this isn't just doing it covertly - silently upgrading customers. Shout it out! Make it part of your marketing programs! Make it something that customers can work towards earning as a loyal customer of yours.

So, stop and think about it. What could you do to make your best customers feel like they are your best customers? What could you do to make your average customers want to become "your best customer"? What "upgrades" could you put into place in your business, and then offer them as perks to your best customers? It doesn't take much, but if you can make your best customers know how much they mean to you, I promise, they will pay you back in so many ways - referrals, testimonials, and increased sales by themselves.