As a young child, I recall having an occasional sleepover at my grandparent’s house, sometimes accompanying my grandmother to the nearby square to grocery shop. The early 1960s was a contrasting era. No supermarkets were involved in this three-hour shopping expedition — all small local vendors. For meat, we walked to Tony the Butcher. For fish, the Broadway Fish Market, produce, the A&P. And dessert (my favorite), Lyndell’s Bakery. (I’d often get a free macaroon.)
From each entrance to the exit of these mom-and-pop shops, my grandmother was treated like Queen Elizabeth. Everyone knew everyone else — a cacophony of communication, where life was firsthand and considerate, and everybody was somebody. Here, established relationships were forged. Although there was little convenience, something enduring prevailed — customer loyalty.
Today, we can complete an entire shopping excursion within a half hour from a cell phone at home without speaking to a soul. In these impersonal times, greetings have reverted to a discretionary nod or wave, written responses are condensed to emojis, and customers are acknowledged as algorithms.
What’s happened to the way we interact?
When I ask my clients to describe their average customer, most answers sound like data from a statistics class ( single men 18 to 34, sons of divorced parents, suburban couples with dogs, married women holding jobs, etc.) instead of what they genuinely are — human beings — people who work, commute, play, and relax. Thinking individuals who laugh, cry, worry, and wonder. Subjectively speaking, your customers are no different from you. They are curious, logical, caring, and opinionated.
In today’s ‘mess-age’ of over-communication, audiences don’t make time for an advertiser’s message let alone care about it unless this message makes them feel something.
Good messages are based on good stories and a good story is formed with the recipient in mind — the reader, listener, or viewer. As you read this material, I must consider your feelings to properly communicate. I shouldn’t confuse, bore, or overwhelm you, so I must empathize with your position as a professional, a student, and a reader.
You’re not anybody; you’re somebody. And I should maintain this empathic mindset when creating any audio or visual message.
Yes, statistics help to comprehend demographics. But there needs to be a distinctive understanding of the targeted customer — a visualization of their feelings:
- What type of lifestyle do they live?
- What challenges do they face?
- What motivates and inspires them to act?
This is about placing yourself in their position as they enter your shop.
Emotions play an essential role in decision-making. Empathy-based messaging allows the recipient an opportunity to express these emotions, as well as absorb and process what you’re conveying.
Kindhearted proclamations may appear pleasant, but how will these worn statements translate to sounding genuine? Boasting “We Care!” no longer sounds personal. If anything, it’s condescending. Saying “Our customers are our number one concern” is what the usual suspects have been professing for decades.
To define your true character, revert to those small shops I mentioned from my youth. Those local vendors forged brand-customer relationships through lasting connections.
How did they do that? One word — transparency. This sincere quality of being easy to understand — allowing you into my world — generates like-mindedness with both the customer’s situation and yours, clearing the path to reciprocal trust.
Communication is a two-sided coin that involves active listening. Conveying a truthful passion or cause forms a healthy, mutual respect for the human side to shine. Is there a human side to what you offer?
“We understand the frustrations of waiting in long lines only to deal with a surly attendant. That’s why we’re now making your experience easier by…”
Do you express compassion and empathy for your customers in your brand? If so, express this human side in one message and various options.
• Brand story. Tell me the history of your customers’ struggles, and how you’ve helped them. Recall personal accounts to add credibility and value to your brand. Involve the listener to make it engaging and conversational.
• Exemplify Your Values. By the way, what are your core values? If you say you care, you’ll have to prove it. This goes deeper than writing a check to the Shriners. Demonstrate your causes to the community. Let them know your principles and passions by spotlighting your alignment with specific reasons.
• Promote your people. Your employees and associates are your foundation. They’re the front-line grunts helping your customers. Champion them. Share stories of what empowers them. It’s not always about you. Your support staff is just as, if not more important, to your customer base. Make them the heroes.
• Promote your customers. These are the real heroes of your brand. Tell their stories of how they came to you for redemption.
• Keep in Touch. You can send and receive texts via a Short Message Service (SMS) with inside information, helpful tips, a short questionnaire (How was your visit with us?), or a caring gesture (Happy Holidays!) to remain on their radar.
• Be a sponge. Absorb every nuance of your target customer with high regard. Respecting others’ lifestyles, habits, and needs is no different than how you’d wish to be treated as a customer and human being.
Look within your inner circle of friends and observe how you interact with these confidants. You’re attentive, considerate, and transparent in your feelings (I hope). If you weren’t, it’s doubtful they’d be your friends.
Personal, empathic messages create sincere client relationships to welcome and buy into. In a congested marketplace, loyal customers will travel further, wait longer, and pay more for a brand with which they can emotionally connect. Whether or not the storefronts of yesteryear have morphed into touch screens, the emotional connection won’t sever as long as our interactions are compassionate.
