Maya Angelou said, "People won't remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel." This is the core of an influential personal and business brand. To make a true impact and resonate strongly with your target audience, you've got to make an emotional connection. Fifty percent of every buying decision is driven by emotion. Emotions shape the attitudes that drive decisions and behavior.
She felt like a number.
She felt like she had been tricked into believing something that was not real.
She felt like she had made a terrible decision.
At the end of the day, she lost her trust in who she thought this person was.
Ten years ago, a client of mine signed up for a program with a well-known professional speaker who had accomplished quite a bit in their industry. She bought their books, attended their trainings, signed up for their newsletter and was such a fan of the way they educated their audience. So, when an opportunity presented itself to work with them in a private group setting for professional speakers, it was a no-brainer for her. She signed up for the program the first day it was offered.
Before the program opened, in their marketing they made sure you felt cared about, supported and provided a great level of attention to you. The customer service was amazing and they made her feel like she was going to be in great hands. Granted you want anyone that is going to sign up for your program(s) to feel safe in their buying decision with you. In that respect, they did a great job.
A couple of days after she signed up, she had a question and reached out. No response. She figured they were busy and they would get back to her in a few days. She left another message and when they finally called the support was lackluster at best—certainly not what she had received before she signed up. She knew then that she had become just another payment to them. I recall her feeling very angry and hurt because to secure the investment that was required, she took out a loan. She felt that it was a risk worth taking. So, to experience this so early was troubling.
She is someone that believed in second chances so she decided to give them another chance. After the first group meeting she called me and said she knew that this program was a terrible decision. I could only imagine what she felt. The tactics that they were sharing were not in line with who she was or what she wanted to connect to. The tactics they used to draw her in were being taught and the group was told, "Once you get them on the hook, reel them in until they pay, and then move on to the next person".
Yes, she wondered how she could be tricked. Yes, she felt like she was nothing more than a payment to this person. Watching her go through this, I resolved that I would never make anyone feel the way she felt. I never wanted anyone to feel like they were "just another client". That led me to craft ways to ensure that the client experience is top priority for our team. The most powerful question you can ask yourself is, "How do I want people to FEEL when they experience my brand?" As you are asking yourself that question, I want you to also take the time and ask yourself the following:
• Do people connect with the information I am sharing?
• How am I getting to know my audience as people and not just potential clients?
• How is my client care engagement process?
• What would my clients (past and current) say about their experience with me?
Blog Written By: Kimberly DeShields-Spencer
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