Loyalty

We all have our favorites.  Favorite coffee shop, favorite brand of clothing, favorite sports bar... but why did we settle on these favorites? Why are we so loyal to particular companies or organizations?  We show our loyalty to these companies by carrying their caffeine-filled labeled cups around town.  That little logo on your shirt about three inches above your heart is a symbol of the company and their values.  My favorite part of having a go-to sports bar is that you get to know the staff and they get to know you.  If you become a regular, maybe they will shout “Norm!” when you walk in the door... as long as the location is known as Cheers.

Their customer service, quality of products and services, and company-personality has probably won you over as a loyal customer.  Therefore, we share our preferences with friends, family, and colleagues because we support our favorites proudly.  

These same sentiments are used when working as a business to business. We include sponsors on websites to show our relationship, we carry around business cards with logos to remind us of those relationships, and sometimes those relationships continue to grow as businesses grow.  

If you have a hard time building your loyal customer base, think about some of your favorites and what they do that makes them your favorites.  Why do you go to coffee shop A instead of B?  Is it because of the rewards program for a free coffee every so often or because the baristas know your name, your favorite drink, and the type of car you drive so they can have your order ready when you get to the door?  Or do you find that type of service creepy?  Remember, you are a customer of other businesses... so treat customers as you wish to be treated.