Sally Mildren, Chief Boss Lady & CEO, presented at two conferences in September. Here are a few key takeaways from those events that will elevate your customer engagement strategies.
If the teachings, sessions, and conversations from two events with business owners from across the U.S. could be wrapped up into one phrase, it would be, “Humans need Humans”.
There were dozens of sessions on AI, futurescaping your business, trends, compliance, growth, etc. but the bottom line seemed to circle back to a few key takeaways that I believe fit every type of business, in every location.
How Do You Build a Business that Will Thrive and Last?
Build Your Marketing and Customer Engagement Around the Idea of True Connection and Service
Marketing, at the end of the day, is not only about channels, tactics, and ads. It’s not about spamming leads and hanging billboards. Sure, those may all find themselves to your strategy (of course you have vetted them), but at the end of the day, marketing should be about connecting with humans who need your service or product. If you get too excited about the latest tool or object, and lose sight of the humans you are here to serve, you may end up building a marketing plan that does not resonate with the customers you are trying to reach and wasting a lot of money.
Ever found yourself staring at crickets in response to your ads or posts? Might want to recheck the “why” on that piece.
Sometimes we have to step outside of our own process and work to really understand what the customer needs, what they want, and what they are asking for. When was the last time you stopped and listened? You can’t create effective customer engagement strategies without knowing what your customer needs or wants. Once you know what that, then you can build effective marketing content that makes them feel seen, heard, and understood. That powerful connection will motivate them to want to do business with you.
This step in is really about ensuring your investments are well rewarded and that your marketing is effective. Don’t forget who it’s all about!
Growth Comes to Those who Honor ALL the HUMANS in Your Business
Humans are the heart of business. Period.
Businesses that are truly the most profitable and enjoy the most significant gains in growth, loyalty, and staff retention have something in common. And that is a top-down commitment to caring for the humans in your business.
One study we looked at said that the second highest driver of trust for a brand, was how YOU treat your staff. Yes, you read that right. The customers care if you treat your staff well. And what they know and what we sometimes forget as business owners, is that our staff are the mouthpiece of our brand!
Spoiler alert – the companies that have strong Employee Engagement and Culture, are also the ones that have the best Customer Experience scores, and are the most profitable businesses across every industry. Their brand tells the story of a business committed to humans, their staff live out that reality and the customers see it and reward it with loyalty. When that kind of synergy exists, you can’t help but win.
Want to learn more about creating effective human-centric brand, culture, and experience strategies for your organization? Tune in and listen to some of our favorite podcasts and webinars!
