Think of your relationship with your client as a valuable, true friendship.
- Every acquaintance begins with the first reaching out and introducing yourself - this is the moment when you begin to exist in the consciousness of the client.
- Then you become closer and closer — you have more opportunities to meet and you come to the conclusion that it is easier for you together. You guys really feel good about each other. This is the stage of commitment.
- A true friend not only makes time better, but is at your fingertips, patiently listening and helping you solve problems when you need it. Do you already understand what this process leads to? To trust.
- When you feel that you have a foothold in someone and they will never let you down, you become loyal. Then no matter what appetizing bite or deep promotion someone from across the street tempts you with — it doesn't impress you anyway. You are doing well in the relationship you are already in!
This story depicts the stages of the customer's buying process: “Know me, like me, trust me, buy me”.
And while the shortcut route from “know me” to “buy me” is tempting (and therefore chosen by most brands unconsciously), the emotional engagement part of the customer is key here. After all, no one jumps into the fire after a stranger — but you can do a lot for a friend!
What role does branding play in all of this?
Crucial.
Branding is a coherent, 360' visual identity and — as in the story of friendship — the feelings you evoke in your audience. Take care of each of these elements to control the emotions driven by your customers and direct their attention where you want them to go.
Make a good impression - harness the power of branding
“Your brand is not what you claim. It is what customers think it is.” — Marty Neumeyer
As they see you, so they write you — so when you introduce yourself, they will have an opinion of you. And as Marty Neumeyer writes in his bestselling book “Reversing the Brand,” it's what customers say that defines who you are.
Surely you know that feeling when after just three seconds of meeting someone you already know that you will like each other. Sometimes it is also the other way around - some premonition repels, something does not fit and simply “does not click” between you. The consistency of the image is responsible for these states. If everything you do, say how you look and even what lifestyle you lead suits you, a harmonious picture is formed in the mind of the recipient, and the brain screams “I like it!”.
Such a coherent person is easier to understand, because on the basis of several characteristic features, our psyche quickly tells the rest. And if these attributes are close to ourselves or to the values we profess — positive emotions flare up.
Let them love you. Turn up the excitement of your brand!
No one likes to be sold — but we love shopping.
People buy from people they like, know, and trust — all based on relationships that are constantly nurtured. Customers stick to what they know and can recognize. They want to feel a strong grounding in emotional connection, shared values, and mutual understanding — they want to believe that this bond is much more than just a transaction.
Daniel Kahneman, in his book Thinking Fast and Slow, likens reason to a man riding an elephant, and the elephant itself to emotions. Man (compared to the elephant on which he rides) is too weak to force the direction of travel and control the behavior of the animal. Modern marketing has learned that it should speak to an elephant (that is, to our emotions) in a language that the animal will understand — the language of feelings. Old marketing tried ineptly to get the rational man to rein in instinct.
And what about the numbers? In the same book, the author proves that as many as 95% of the decisions we make come not from logic and reason (although this is how we try to justify our purchases), but precisely from emotions, intuition and... from an automatic machine.
Customers will return on their own
Felicia C. Sullivan, author of “How to Build a Brand”, describes the results of a two-year study of 100,000 retail customers: “Emotionally connected customers have a 306% higher Lifetime Value (LTV) and stay with the brand for an average of 5.1 years (compared to 3.4 years for non-emotionally engaged customers) and will recommend brands much more willingly, with a referral rate as high as 71% (compared to 45% in the opposite group)”. A new Harvard Business Review study found that loyalty is more important than customer satisfaction and drives brand loyalty.
The recipe for the success of your business
Branding is a 360' visual identity that defines the personality of your brand and thus evokes certain emotions in the audience. Now that you know the secret ingredient, the recipe for success is simple:
Good product = Brand left to fate.
Good product + Branding = Brand growing in strength and controlling its development
You already know that an innovative product or service alone is not enough — it's time to properly present it to the world. You hold the key to success in your hand. Now all you have to do is open the door.
