Make Your Customers Your Evangelists - Part Two

Companies that are not directly involving their customers in the evangelization process in my opinion are really missing the boat. Think about the last big purchase you made for yourself personally or professionally. Did you enlist the help or advice of a friend of colleague? If you did, chances are, any hesitancy you might have had initially was immediately stripped away or at least strongly diminished when a trusted source gave you their willing approval. That's understandable....we all feel better if someone else trys something first and lives to tell about it.

The key difference between soliciting an opinion or advice and having someone proactively singing the praises of something is evangelization. Sales people by design are supposed to evangelize the amazing things their company offers but that certainly isn't enough. Especially when you are running a company. People mistrust sales people by nature, as most of us have been burned a time or two (or a hundered!) before. But someone that doesn't stand to benefit or profit in any way can be a strong alley especially if they are singing your company's praises without being asked!

In my years as a business owner, I had people calling me all the time saying things like "I was at this event and your company's name came up" or "A friend of mine said they purchased XYZ from you and they told me I had to call." I loved to receiving those kinds of calls because it not only meant I had a reasonably good chance of getting their business but the good work I was doing for my current clients was really paying off.

So how do you make your customers active evangelists for your company? One of the simplest and most resourceful ways of going about it is to ASK FOR HELP! SHARE with your clients what your goals and aspirations are and where you want to take your company and how they can help. ENLIST them by asking them to keep their eyes peeled for other people or companies that can benefit from the same level of service you are providing them. SHOW THEM that you will appreciate their business and no matter how many potential client opportunities they may bring you, your DEDICATION, SERVICE AND COMMITMENT to them will never change.

In closing, be upfront and honest with your clients. Proactively telling a client that you are growing your business smartly and profitably through strong business relationships, and not simple prospecting, shows that you have a commitment to building a strong foundation and ultimately very successful business. That level of commitment can and will make them feel good about sharing your story with their friends, family and colleagues.