Why Your Customers Don’t Like You

Let’s get something straight: Your customers do like you.

Generally speaking, that is. To be sure, let’s say they definitely don’t dislike you. It’s just that whenever they need your help with something, you always seem so… distant.

And if yours is like most businesses, you may not realize just how distant you seem.

The good news is that you can definitely change things. There’s a lot you can do to engage your customers, let them know you understand their problems, and have them give you the opportunity to present a solution. Really, you can do all that.

But while the problem may be easy to identify, the solution takes time. And labor. And expertise.

It’s all about presence.

I see so many good companies with great products and awesome customer service falling flat on their faces when it comes to likability.

How could that be? Especially if their customer service is so good. It would seem like companies that are doing such a great job would be the most well-liked. And to some extent, they are – at least among their current clients.

But preaching to the converted is usually a poor way to direct your energy. You should be sending your message to the masses who either need you but don’t know it yet or know they need you but don’t know who you are yet.

In short, you need to be present.

And how do you do that? You start by getting a list of email addresses.

You will import that list of email addresses into an email marketing software program (Campaign Monitor and AWeber are good) and send out a company newsletter each month. In the beginning, it doesn’t need to be anything too elaborate. I have some clients who insist on sending nothing but news every month – no offer, no call to action, just news.

And since they send other marketing emails to more specific groups, I think that’s fine. The purpose of the newsletter is simply to remain present.

After you’re present via email, you can start being present in other ways: White papers that inform, business content that helps your audience solve problems, foundational Web copy that clearly explains the benefits of your product or service.

The more content you produce, the more your audience will like you.

As long as you’re speaking to the right audience.

Just be sure you’re talking to the people who are going to buy from you. Not speaking to your customers is one of the easiest mistakes to make when you’re producing all this content. If you can correct it, you’ll be that much easier to like.

And be vigilant about who your customers are. What are their problems? What is it they’re looking for? How can I provide/fix these things for them?

It’s your job to provide solutions. If you don’t offer any evidence that you’re capable of doing so, your audience will move along to somebody who does – someone who’s easier to like.

It’s through your content that you can provide that evidence. Every word of copy – or, for that matter, every letter – that appears on your Website, in your emails, white papers, and news releases is a way for you to make prospective customers trust you enough to start buying from you.

They’ve already invited you to the party. Now it’s up to you not only to show up, but to mingle, laugh, dance, tell jokes, and offer a toast or two. Sure, nobody’s going to stop liking you if you decide to spend a restful evening at home away from all the action.

But then your customers might never get the chance to meet you – and what would that mean for your business?

image via Sean MacEntee

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