We sat down with Tyler Garns, Founder and CEO of Box Out Marketing, to discuss how to stay customer-focused in your approach to marketing and customer communication.
Tyler, formerly the Director and VP of Marketing at Infusionsoft, led the marketing efforts that influenced the company’s massive success between 2007 and 2012. Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation:
“What would I do if I were doing this in person?”
It’s important to step back and really think about how your message is being received by your audience. When looking at your customer communication, think about it as if you were having a conversation face to face with your most prized customer — or better yet, your best friend. If your product update messages are starting to sound like they’re coming from a livestock auctioneer, it’s probably time to rethink your messaging.
“It’s really about care.”
When it comes to turning customers into brand ambassadors, there is no strategy more powerful than genuine care for your customers. That doesn’t mean the “we’re a customer-first company” stuff but the “I can’t sleep tonight until I’m confident I’m enhancing my customers’ lives” type of stuff. Sometimes it’s okay to be just a little bit obsessed. The feeling that your interests are aligned with their needs is a feeling that’s impossible for your customers to ignore.
“Stay on top of the right communication method.”
“Wherever your audience hangs out, that’s where you need to have the conversation.”
If your inbox is filled with hundreds of unread emails about “holiday sales” and “new deals,” you shouldn’t expect your customers’ mailboxes to be any different. Understanding how to connect with your customers means understanding how your customers connect with others. For some businesses that may be social media, and for others it’s text. Sometimes all your customers need is a good old-fashioned phone call.
Check out the video:
In a world filled with marketing automation, those who automate and remain genuine will rise to the top. Take time to think about how a message would be received if it was sent to just one person, and scale your customer connections from there. Like Tyler said, “when automated conversations start to look and feel real, companies see massive returns.” That’s how you really stay customer-focused and help your customer retention strategy.
