Successful Customer Appreciation: How to Humanize Your Franchise
In a consumer landscape where the tides are always shifting, and social trends and fads are determining factors in a franchise’s success, it can be difficult to get an edge in the world of Canadian franchising. In order to establish your franchise’s reputation, it is important to build customer loyalty —a key component in achieving continual selling to your target market.
As there is an ever-increasing shift toward the customer’s desire for “an experience”rather than a mere physical product or passive service, franchises must take advantage of this opportunity. By engaging with the customer on a personal level, the franchise allows the customer to feel like they are apart of something bigger than themselves. The experience of community is grounded within the human psyche, and is increasingly prevalent in how franchises deal with their customers. As members of community, the customer desires to feel special and receive treatment which they deem as favourable and individualized.
1. Learn their name and implement it in conversation.
The nicest sound any person can hear is that of their own name leaving the lips of another. If said with genuine interest, the use of the customer’s name will immediately bridge the gap of individuality and allow further discourse and connection, enabling human interaction under the banner of your franchise’s success.
2. Be natural, treat them like a human with desires and fears.
Through simple and endearing interaction void of a direct sales pitch, customers will feel more at ease and comfortable in the environment of your franchise. If possible, even attempt to go further in building rapport between customer and employee; anything that builds upon human connection is positive.
3. Find their motivation and cater to it.
By simple conversation, it is usually possible to ascertain the reason why a customer has chosen to walk into your franchise. If they are there to browse, give them general, basic information and let them be on their way. Sometimes, however, customers have a very specific underlying reason that can be discovered, which allows your franchise to cater to their in-store experience on an individualized basis…Such as helping them pick up a gift for a spouse or child.
4. Build an impressive loyalty program.
Most loyalty programs end up being completely useless for the average customer. If you can make them feel truly valued as a customer through small tokens of appreciation, your franchise will win definite and identifiable brownie points in their books. Giving the customer a physical reason to repeatedly give you their business provides a win-win situation for both parties.
Customers are seeking connection in their consumeristic endeavours in the same way they seek it in every other realm of day-to-day life. To allow the customer to feel special, they must experience first-hand loyalty, which is bred through human connection, even on a minimal level. The humanization of business is currently at an all time high. Anything human wins. Real, concrete, meaningful heart-to-heart stuff will allow your franchise opportunity to succeed.
About FranNet Canada
FranNet is a 29-year-old company with roots in the U.S. Its purpose being to nurture every entrepreneur’s dream of business ownership. We actively employ a specific profiling and consultation method. This method is geared to each investor with a specific business model and based on franchise trends typically found in Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver, British Columbia, or Calgary, Alberta. The most lucrative Canadian franchise opportunities are waiting for you. For more details visit - http://frannet.ca/buy-a-franchise/canada-franchise-buying-process/
