The Art of Delighting Customers

You've probably read or heard repeatedly that your business needs to be delighting customers in order to win their loyalty and build your success. You may even know some famous examples, like Zappos' 10-hour customer service call. But what does the idea of delighting customers really mean for your business?

First, a hard truth. The bar for delight is higher than it used to be for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Take websites, for example. We're not that far removed from the days when simply having a website at all was enough to make you stand out. Today, a website that looks professional and that works on all devices is the bare minimum that your customers expect. In other words, delighting customers goes well beyond simply not frustrating them.

OK, now the good news. Delighting customers is totally doable even when you don't have a Zappos-size team or budget. It all comes down to one thing: a personal touch.

Delighting customers starts with knowing your customers. Really knowing them. (If you're feeling a little iffy here, check out some of our past articles that will help you get a clearer picture of your target customers.) How can you go above and beyond their expectations at each stage of their relationship with you? How can you make them feel understood and supported?

It all comes down to one thing: a personal touch.

When you really get your customers, you'll have a better handle on the services, features and special touches that will win their hearts. Take DesignGood client Paint Works New York. Paint Works enjoys collaborating with interior designers on residential projects in the New York City area. As you can imagine, designers have a lot of details to wrangle on these projects, from working with the quirks of older buildings to keeping the buildings' common areas clean and orderly. Paint Works differentiates itself with expertise that makes life easier for designers. Through their extensive experience, they know everything from how to deal with a crooked ceiling line to the best order for scheduling different parts of a project. DesignGood helped Paint Works show why they stand out with The Designer's Toolkit, a handy reference that shares Paint Works' specialized knowledge. It's a promotional tool that doesn't feel "sales-y." Instead, it shows designers that Paint Works understands their needs.

At DesignGood, we've honed all stages of our process with a focus on delighting customers through personalized service. As we say on our website, "we're hand-holders — and proud of it." That's because we know how valuable it is to the entrepreneurs and small businesses that we serve to have a partner that's invested in their success. We shape our offerings based on our customers' needs. For example, we saw that businesses often crave some direction on how to continue building success after they've launched or revitalized their brand with us. So we created our Brand Training & Toolkit, which helps our clients map out a plan for the next best steps for their business. It gives them practical know-how, builds their excitement about their brand and shows that we are genuinely interested in their success, even after their project with us is done.

That's what a personal touch means in our business. What does it mean in yours? Think about some ways you can forge the meaningful connections that are the key to delighting customers. A few ideas:

• Your website could anticipate and answer the questions they have about doing business with you.
• You could give away an awesome lead magnet that delivers value before they even buy from you.
• If your business sells a product, you could create packaging that is memorable and on-brand and throw in a small, surprise bonus with every order.
• You could interact with them on social media.
• You could check in with them after the sale or after your work together ends.

Need more ideas on delighting customers? Contact us today to learn how we can help you gain clarity on your business and how to stand out.