There is an intrinsic irony in the fact that legally, a corporation is seen as a person, and yet we often forget to be personable.
As Gimmee Jimmy’s Cookies grows beyond the confines of our brick and mortar bakery, we are constantly trying to find ways to help our customers through the purchase process. We ask ourselves everyday, what do our customers really want. What customers want, coincidently, is not just a curiosity of business, or polite, but an intrinsic part of understanding marketing strategy and brand planning. It is not enough to assume customers want your product. Sure, they want an means to an end, but beyond that, your customers, like ours, desire a relationship.
For example, just think of the man who goes to work, returns home, has himself a Coke or a Coors. He isn’t really thinking of making a purchase…he’s incorporated the product into his lifestyle. That’s the kind of strong personal relationship you want to facilitate.
Do your job of branding and your customers will start to feel loyal to your company name, thinking of you not as just a business they’ve had a transaction with, but as an actual part of their daily routine. They don’t just buy from you when they need something. They buy from you because it helps complete their day. They buy from you because it makes their life a little more enjoyable.
Gimmee Jimmy’s Cookies offers free shipping, incredible quality, and a variety of products that allow our customers to have the personal choice in what they are buying for their clients, colleagues and loved ones. Our holiday program and date picker features are a great way to get your shopping out of the way by purchasing in advance, and we’ve worked hard to create the perfect system which allows our customers to upload their address book swiftly and order en-mass. These features are great, and something we’ve worked hard to implement, but the reality is, we would be nowhere if we didn’t treat our customers as people, rather than conversion rates, and friends rather than clients.
So next time you are strategizing the next big move for your company, think organically about your customers, who they are, and what they would like in a relationship. Creating a relationship with your business connections, that’s what is going to make their lives easier, and their shopping that much more efficient. Offer something more than just a product. Offer a life experience, and a relationship that is personal and worth keeping for the long-term.
