Should You Treat Customers as More than Customers?

Should you treat your customers like... more than customers?  The great debate that I have encountered for more than 2/3 of my own career and I can tell you that my answer then and now, is the same.

Yes.  

As you go out in the world to seek your own way, its difficult to know all of the do's and don'ts.   I mean, seriously, have you got time to check the list to see if you're supposed to be doing something when you're in front of  a customer?   For me, I found out early on... that I cannot be anything other than me.   I tried all the "so called" checklist methods.  I tried to follow in the footsteps of those before me who found greatness.   I tried to be everything and anything but who I truly was... and I can tell you, I was completely and utterly miserable.    Once I realized that trying to be something I wasn't and focused on just being me and letting customers see and get to know  "me", I started seeing success.   I found that people liked me and the fact that I was so open and genuine.   I began to develop "real" relationships with my customers.   I began to see them as more than "just" customers.   They were people... why... they were friends.  


Is it really possible to do business with friends?   Trust is essential in every relationship, whether business or personal.   Trust is the backbone for creating and keeping successful and long-term customers.   You cannot BUY trust.  You can only EARN it and work to keep it. 

Trust.   It makes me feel so good when someone says to me, I trust you completely.  It means that I have earned that comment in some way.  It means that my actions and follow-ups and effort have been noticed.   It means that you have developed a solid relationship between two individuals who like each other and are very comfortable not only doing business but being friends as well.     There are many customers who you won't have this type of relationship, but there are many that you will.  Be grateful for those because they will enrich your life in so many ways.

Does being friends mean you owe these customers something extra?  In my own mind, its a bonus by becoming friends.   For me personally, it challenges me to exceed their expectations.   Customers  like to feel that you are going the extra mile for them.  When you're friends with them, I have found that they appreciate that extra mile even more.   (Think about how you feel when you're the customer and someone goes out of their way to make you happy.)  Its a great feeling! 

I've had a few supervisors who told me that my way of doing business was wrong.  I have had one of them tell me that you cannot be friends with customers and that the "company" owned the relationships.  Well... they were wrong then and they are wrong now.    Relationships cannot be "owned" by anyone.   Relationships are developed, nurtured and maintained by people.   I have often told my own consulting clients when developing their customer base, don't micro-manage your sales people.   Allow their personality to shine and let them represent your brand by being themselves.  If a sales person knows the product and believes in it... the rest will take care of itself.   The key to success is not the product or company - it's the person selling it. 

My rules of thumb for selling have been the same for 25 years:  Sell yourself, sell the product or service and then sell your company.  IN THAT ORDER. 

So... as I sit here today,  I am smiling and happy.   I know that when I go out into the world to meet new people and share my new passion for whatever project I may be working on... one thing is for certain - they will meet the "real me" and they will immediately become part of my family.   All the critics can say its not "professional".   They can say that its too personal, but for me - it's success.   And, personally... I like success! 

I Get By With a Little Help from my Friends!

Now... first, you'll be singing that song all day!  So.... just go on and get it out of your system!  BELT IT OUT!  

Friendship.  Its part of our life... at every stage.   From birth to death, friends surround us and make our lives better or in some cases, worse.  (just as we do for them!)  This blog post was originally going to be about something else, but I had a conversation on the airplane yesterday... and I was touched and inspired.  

So... I was sitting next to a lovely elderly lady who started a conversation with me.  She was telling me she was on her way to see her best friend who had moved across the country and that twice a year they each traveled to see the other.   She told me stories of their younger days and how they had kept the friendship alive when they lived so far apart.   As she was talking, her eyes sparkled with laughter and a genuine feeling of love and fondness for this person that I had never met, yet somehow felt connected to instantly.   She asked me if I had a best friend and I told her that indeed I did, not one - but two.  She looked at me quite seriously and said, "Every day is a gift and every friendship another.  Don't ever take it for granted and always take care and nurture them. Without love and attention, they will die."

As I listened to her, I began to think how lucky we all are in this life.  Friends come in all shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds.   We are all unique and different, yet, when you make a connection with someone - its one of the most precious gifts we are given.  She was so right!

For me, I have a lot of friends across the country which really amazes me.  I have re-connected with friends from my childhood and high school days that I didn't realize how much I missed them until I got the opportunity to talk to them again on a regular basis thanks to the social media phenomenon!  Facebook definitely has the market on re-connecting!

 I have made long lasting friendships that started out as business acquaintances.   Some of my closest friends today happened in just that way and honestly, I cannot imagine my life without them.    But, whether old, new, good or best... one thing is for certain, I am grateful and blessed for each and every one of them.

Emily Dickinson said, "My friends are my estate."  Never a more profound or truer statement. 

I've had several best friends over the course of my life.  Each different, yet they all enriched my life at the time and made it much better.   I would not be the person I am today without all of these influences over the years.  Often, I think, we take friendship for granted.   We shouldn't!  Its give and take.  It's two people investing in a relationship and taking time to make it work. 

Today, as I take a moment to reflect over the course of my 46 years... I know that without friends, life would have been extremely dull.  I feel very honored to know so many people and to be able to call them my friend.   I am extremely blessed with a circle of great friends who through good times or bad, they are always there.   I know that without my two very best friends, one is a sister to me and the other my hero... I would not be the person I am today.    To both of them, I would say... thank you for loving me enough through all my flaws, ups and downs, good, bad and yes... even ugly and for always being there when it counts. 

Take time to tell your own friends how important they are to you.   As the lovely lady on the airplane reminded me... life is precious.  Every day is a gift.   Every friendship is another.

So... now, my goal is to try to name every song written about friends!  Hmmm... wonder how long that will take?