Last Saturday, like legions of other die-hard college football fans, I strapped on my oh-so-fashionable clear plastic rain pants and jacket, stuffed more plastic bags in my pockets, and headed through a downpour to my alma-mater’s football stadium. And while I and thousands of others sat there and watched the kickoff—little beads of water dripping from our hoods—I wondered what drives this kind of loyalty.
I’ve never played football. I don’t know any of the players on the team personally. But year after year, with a ticket in one hand and often a handwarmer in the other, I sit through blazing sun and biting cold and cheer on my beloved team to (hopefully most often) victory.
As the band played the ‘alma mater’ song and the rain clouds drifted along, I realized there are some lessons here that could be applied to business.
1). Loyalty matters. Whether you’re selling a product or service, nothing beats a loyal customer base. Fans of your products will not only return for more, they’ll likely spread the word to people they know especially through retweets and posts via social media. However, generating loyalty takes both work and time. Keep in touch with customers after they make a purchase. Send them a note, an e-mail, a special offer. Make your products and customer service unbeatable. Throw in free shipping if you can. Connect with consumers using social media sites and respond to questions. Address complaints and try to resolve them quickly. Make it impossible for your clients to switch teams and go somewhere else.
2). Be a cheerleader. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. If you do something positive, tell people about it. Get excited about your company and where it’s headed and let it show. Excitment is contagious. If you believe in what you’re doing and express this to others, in turn, they’ll get enthused about your company too. Sis boom bah!
3). Make your ‘fans’ feel that they’re part of something special. Everyone wants to feel that they’re part of a special experience. Whether I watch my team play in person or with a group of friends via t.v., I feel that by following them throughout the season, I’m being part of a unique experience that in some way, defines who I am. If I meet another Wildcat fan, I immediately have a connection and a sense of camaraderie. Make your customers feel that by using your products and services that they’re part of a club whose membership is something special, unique and cool.
4). Be consistent. When it comes to generating loyalty, people don’t like surprises. Return customers come back with certain expectations: good quality, good customer service, fast delivery and great prices. Don’t have good service one day and mediocre the next. Maintain brand consistency (imagine if for one game our beloved purple and black uniforms were replaced with orange and blue; or if Coca-Cola tasted differently from one bottle to the next). Be there for your clients and always be what they have come to expect.
5). Be a winner. It’s true what they say, at least when it comes to loyal fans: It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. Play fair. Demonstrate good sportsmanship. Have ethics, honesty and integrity. Admit to your mistakes and try to correct them if they happen. Show your customers that they should be on your team because you are worth it. Always strive to do your personal best and you will earn the respect of your fans. You will always be a winner because of how you play the game.
My team won this week. It was a fairly easy victory, but next week’s away game is expected to be more of a challenge. Whether they win or lose, come the next home game you’ll find me in my usual seat in Section 125, wearing my team’s colors (albeit possibly covered in some sort of plastic-wrap, weather-permitting), surrounded by the same season ticket holders who’ve sat around me for the past 10+ years. The team has my loyalty; they’ve earned it.
