Marketing tip # 71: How many hooks have you set?

94738500Whether it comes to fish or our customers, the more hooks we have in them, the more likely we're going to be able to keep them!

I'd like to think the "hooks" we have in our customers — the reasons they can't imagine going anywhere else to buy what we sell, aren't painful, but in fact… they're the little things we do to be so remarkable and so unforgettable, we have earned their business and their love for life.

That's the way we should be setting our hooks. With love.  It's all about creating that love affair with our customers.

I was speaking to a banking association last week and told them the story of a bank who happens to have a significant population of 70+ aged customers.  Which makes social security day a busy one!  Lots of elderly ladies showing up to deposit those checks and then they hang out for awhile.

The bank saw the opportunity and began providing cookies and coffee.  It was a white haired networking extravaganza.  Now, that's a nice hook.

But the bank tellers took it to a whole new level.  They started noticing if some of the regulars hadn't been in the bank for awhile and they took it upon themselves to call those customers (often widows who lived alone) to make sure they were okay and if they needed any assistance.  Some of the elderly actually broke down and cried on the phone because they were so touched by the concern.

That's setting a hook with love.  And that's how you keep a customer for life.

 

 

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16 comments on “Marketing tip # 71: How many hooks have you set?

  1. Michael Fulton says:

    This is really cool. It is really neat to read this blog because it incorporates well with the book I am reading in one of my classes in school. We are required to read “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath, but that book is so interesting to read that it doesn’t feel required. This book is all about how to make ideas sticky to customers, and this is the same kind of principle.

  2. Sara Hugley says:

    This is a great blog. Things like this have everything to do with relationship marketing. I think the checking up on customers is so genuine and caring, which differentiates them from other banks. As it is important to have employee satisfaction as a prerequisite before customer satisfaction, these tellers must be pretty satisfied by doing a fantastic job.

  3. Morgan Caves says:

    I really like the idea of creating a love affair with your clients. I think that is something everyone can relate to. It’s nice to know that relationships are still valued in the business world, because really, aren’t relationships the most important thing?

  4. Ashley Ellingson says:

    This is a really cool idea. It seems like as a society we are so focused on the end goal, that we don’t realize the value of the journey along the way. If the bank was only focused on having customers come to their bank, than they might not have decided to put cookies and coffee out, or realize that some of the regulars weren’t there as much. Creating love affairs with customers is kind of like your “best friends” in life. You have created some hook to catch them and keep them in your life.

  5. Quinn Adair says:

    It is refreshing to see genuine acts like this. This is not only flattering to the customers at the bank but rewarding for the employees, as well. Building relationships adds variety and enjoyment to an otherwise “regular” work day. This bank has its priorities straight by creating an emphasis quality employees and maintaining loyal customers.

  6. Austin Patton says:

    This blog is an amazing idea and also a different way to think of creating relationships. The whole idea of creating a love affair is to keep your customers coming back and then hopefully your customers will then tell other potential customers about their wonderful experience. I feel now a days, there are a lot more businesses that are more about building relationship than just jumping to the end goal of making a profit.

  7. Nicole Wenstrand says:

    I really like this idea. I worked in a Bank over the summer and can see why this would work. Just talking to the customers while doing business, giving them cookies, or calling them on the phone just adds value to their experience. Most people wouldn’t think about the relationship with their customers in terms of “love” but it really makes sense. The “love” is building a relationship that will bring them back to continue to do business with you.

  8. Steven Johnson says:

    This is a very good analogy. Retaining current customers is so important for businesses to remain profitable and competitive. I forget the exact percentage but some 70-80% of a business’s sales comes from repeat customers. Anything you can do to “hook” your customers will go a long way to improving the sustainability of your business.

  9. Alex Huyser says:

    I like this idea. The 80/20 rule applies here, 80% of your profits may come from just 20% of your customers. Therefore, it is important to have a good relationship with your customers. It’s the little things in life that matter, such as; setting out cookings for the customers coming to the bank. They will remember this good deed and will use that for a reason to come back to the bank.

  10. Cody Jandik says:

    I really like the idea of this bank to provide an extra benefits for its customers through something that wouldn’t be the first benefit I would think of. Building customer connections are very special and very unique in the current economic times. Most companies are concerned about the bottom line and not issues that could actually help the customers. Props to this bank!

  11. Amy Meyer says:

    I really like the idea of having a real relationship with customers. I believe the end goal is to think of ways to constantly improve customer satisfaction. It is interesting idea to think that we have earned their business. It really changes the we interact and view customers in all situations.

  12. Great time tried method. Building a relationship with your customers or future customers is the best way to ensure your success. There can be many different levels (hooks) to this method which should be considered in every online and offline interaction with other people

  13. Katie Ricketts says:

    This is a really good idea. It’s important to have a job and work environment where you appreciate the customers. As one of my classes recently just learned, it is important to please the workers before the customers. By having happy workers who enjoy their job and the customers they interact with, these small steps (such as calling to make sure someone is okay) become part of the bigger picture. A bigger picture that involves such caring can lead to an overall more satisyfing customer experience with any business to create a positive future of success.

  14. Brad Williams says:

    I love the analogy you used for this. I think it really makes sense and can be used for many things. Hopefully I can get some of my own hooks set soon.

  15. Shamayne says:

    I really enjoyed this article. A little effort goes a very long way.

    http://www.smartpointresearch.com/

  16. Alec says:

    Great idea, Drew. That is an amazing example of employee initiative and taking it to another level.

    I can’t help but feel that the choice of phrase “customer for life” is a bit awkward in this case though.

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