From Prospects to Loyal Customers

It doesn’t always work this way, but most new customers and loyal customers are developed in this sequence:

1. Positive Impressions create Awareness.
2. Awareness is Brand recognition or recognition of your company. Positive awareness leads to a positive perceived reputation.
3. Positive Reputation leads to Opportunities for Experience (Quotes, Inquiries, and/or orders).
4. Positive Experiences Lead to Loyalty.

These steps aren’t clearly defined quadrants with walls between them.  They are more like phases that are blended together.

IMPRESSIONS:  Think of Positive Impressions like little baby steps.  They are small.  Not Aggressive.  Comfortable.  Most of the time, people think of Positive Impressions as part of their marketing efforts:  Their website or literature.  Email Campaigns. YouTube Videos. Advertising.  

Creating impressions isn't all marketing.  Other activities create impressions too.  Meeting someone in person casually.  Doing a presentation.  Participating in some civic or non-work-related events.  Dropping in and leaving a card or catalog for a potential customer.  These all create impressions.

So does your physical facility.  If you have a nice looking building with good signage, that creates an impression for everyone that drives by.  The same goes for a delivery or service vehicle with messaging on it.  

It is said that it takes 7 impressions to create awareness.  I don't know where this figure comes from, but there is definitely some truth to it.  Very seldom does one impression do the trick.

AWARENESS:  It is through Awareness that a company builds its reputation.  Prospective customers may call or more closely study a company's website.  They may ask others about the company. This is where the prospective customer goes from "Who are they?" to "oh yes.  I know who they are."

The Awareness Phase is only awareness.  It doesn't mean the customer is committed or doing business yet.  On a personal level, if you think about it, you probably have some restaurants that are in your Awareness Phase.  You drive by them.  You know they are there, but you haven't eaten there yet.  Sometimes it may take you a while before you try the place.  

OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPERIENCE:  This is when prospective customers give a company a shot.  They want a quote.  They have an inquiry. Or they place a first order.  This is where friendliness and personal relationships really come in to play. 

LOYALTY:  If a company does the above steps well, they develop loyal, regular customers.  

It is important to remember that you can't get to loyalty unless you do the first three phases well.  Think it through.  Is there one area you, or someone in your company, could devote more effort?

Also, it is important to remember that this process takes time.  You can't rush people through these phases.  They have to go through at their own speed.  

One final point:  Think about these phases and work on them.  Especially work on the Impressions Phase.  If you can create a few easy impression activities that can be fill in work (or part-time helper work), you've got something that can really help you.  In lots of small companies, there may be down-time that is just wasted away.  Use that time to create impressions.  It will ultimately pay off.