How to make your customers like you

As an entrepreneur, how to make your customers like you, is probably one of the most important goals of your business.

When your customers like you, it becomes easy for them to trust you. When they trust you, then they’ll be well on their way to becoming loyal to your brand. But first, how can you make them like you?

You see, the thing about running a successful business is that it takes a lot of work. However, if you focus all that work on doing the right things, then you can be sure of your success. In this case, focusing on how to make your customers like you will help you build a successful brand. I mean, it only makes sense that since you’re in the business because of your customers, it’s important to make them like you and trust you.

Here’s something that a lot of small business owners often forget; your business is not all about producing the best product ever. It is about satisfying your customers. So, even if you have the best product ever and your customers don’t like you or aren’t satisfied with your services, then what’s the point of your business?

So, let’s get straight into it. How can you make your customers like you?

1. It starts with your interaction with your customers

To make your customers like you, you have to be able to interact with them in a way that makes them feel good.

First of all, understand that your brand isn’t all about your product or service. So, as much as you can, make your brand more human so that you can establish an emotional connection with your customers. It all starts with how you interact with your customers.

What’s your brand all about? How do you communicate your brand story to potential customers?

Your interaction with your customers starts from the very moment they become aware of your brand.

First, they get to know about you, then you help them understand what your brand is all about by sharing your brand’s story. When they understand what you do, it becomes easy to like and believe in what you are doing. It is at this stage that trust and loyalty can be built.

So, how do you reveal your brand to the world? What makes your brand unique? How do you communicate that uniqueness to potential customers?

In interacting with your customers and potential customers, be yourself. Be authentic and relevant to your customers. You have to show them that you’re ready to meet their need. You’re not just after their money.

The truth is that customers can tell when you are pretending. So, if you are going to make them like you, you have to show them that you care about meeting their need. You want to provide them with satisfaction.

So, the key point here is to start interacting with them the right way even before they become your customers. How? Make sure your interaction is based on the fact that you care to meet their needs, not just to collect their money.

2. Design your customers’ experience

I’ll tell you a story of how world-class restaurants got their customers to like them.

These restaurants had a strategy that helped them give their customers a beautiful experience whether they were visiting for the first, second or third time. It’s the napkin strategy.

So, if you were visiting their restaurants for the first time, they’d give you a pink napkin. This signaled to all the other staff to welcome you, explain the menu to you, check in regularly, learn your name, introduce the chef and create a good first impression overall.

If you were visiting for the second time, they’d give you a yellow napkin that signaled to the other staff to celebrate your return, get to know you, give you good service, gift you with free garlic bread and also asked why you returned.

Finally, if you were visiting for the third time, they’d give you a blue napkin. This signaled to all staff to celebrate your return, gift you with a free bottle of wine, have a chef bring your food, give you a VIP treatment, give you a permanent patron discount.

What’s the point of all these? Making your customers feel good and valued by your brand is one of the best ways to make them like you. To achieve this, however, you have to designan experience for them.

When your customers are treated right, they will go on to tell their family and friends, making potential customers like you already.

3. Learn how to manage customers’ expectations

The major reason why most people don’t go back to patronize a business that they once patronized is because of unmet expectations.

You see, when it comes to customers’ expectations, there are 5 levels of satisfaction you should keep in mind.

• Not satisfied: In this case, the customers felt their needs or expectations weren’t met at all.
• Slightly satisfied: the customers felt that some needs were met but most weren’t.
• Satisfied: The customers feel happy because they got all that they came for.
• Very satisfied: The customers got what they came for and a little surpriese to go with it.
• Extremely satisfied: The customers’ expectations were all exceeded.

To make your customers like you, you should aim to get them extremely surprised. The trick is make your customers get more than what they paid for. For instance in the case of the world class restaurants, they provide VIP service, gift them free bread or wine, calmly explain everything they need to know about the restaurant and their menu, etc.

To start with, find out what your customers expect. This should include the timeframe that they expect to achieve that goal. 

If speaking one on one with them isn’t possible, then you can consider conducting a survey. The bottom line is to find a way to know what your customers expect.

4. Always communicate

Here’s something that you should know about customers. They can be very anxious.

Most times in business transaction, things go bad only because the customer doesn’t know what is going on. So, they get nervous because there’s no word from you. They get anxious and begin to complain about your services. The overall effect of this is that they will not like you.

The best way to avoid this kind of situation, the best thing to do is to ensure that you inform them every step of the way. Communicate with them as much as possible.

You know what they say about under promising and over delivering? Well, it works all the time. When you make a promise to your customer, make sure you give enough allowance for unplanned events so that no matter what happens, you’d deliver on the expected time.

5. Ask for your customers' feedback from time to time

Finally, to make your customers like you, it’s important to know what they want, what they think of the value you are providing them and if there are other ways that you can improve on your services.

Now, when you ask for feedback, make sure you communicate to them if you are making changes, either positive or negative. Let them know that you have heard their suggestions and you are working on them. Remember, communication is important. So, always let them know that you have them in mind. It will make them feel better to know that they are a part of the process that’s helping your brand grow.

Treat your customers like your partners because, without them, there will be no business for you. Just doing this will make your customers like you.

Bottom line: Everyone likes to feel important. So, with that in mind, you can make your customers like you by doing the things that make them feel important and special. You’d be glad you did.