Anybody can deliver what was paid for, but not everyone can delight.
Delight is what people really want. They may not say it, but their actions will reveal it if you pay attention. People want to be wowed. They want you to go beyond giving them the basics. They want to see that you have put in the effort to satisfy them and prioritise their needs in your business.
I mean, they could have taken their patronage somewhere else, couldn’t they? If they chose to invest in your business, make them see that it’s worth it and remind them regularly through your actions that they made the right decision.
Delight is intangible but noticeable. It’s that little extra that makes the difference. It may not be monumental, but it matters.
As an entrepreneur with multiple businesses, I can tell you that aiming to delight your customers pays off more than simply delivering the service and ending the transaction.
When you delight your customers, you give them a reason to keep coming back. Here are practical ways you can delight your customers from my experience:
- Pay attention to your customers: Understand their peculiarities and make them understand that you are paying attention. If a client communicates a preference once or twice, you should be paying attention because it would do no good if they have to repeat themselves again and again, maybe because you didn’t think what they said mattered to be noted.
- Aim to satisfy them: It may not be convenient, but it would pay in the long run. However, don’t aim to satisfy them because you have an ulterior motive. Do what you need to do excellently well without any form of expectation. Satisfaction is when you have exceeded their peculiar expectations. “Peculiar” because not all expectations are the same. Expectations vary, and you need to pay attention to understand each client’s needs and exceed those expectations. This may be a bit cumbersome for a brand with thousands of clients; in this case, leverage tools that can help you understand what the consensus is saying.
- Document and document: Customers want to ensure you know what you’re doing, and accurate, on-time documentation can demonstrate this. Documentation helps you stay prepared and demonstrates that you are serious about your business.
- Take feedback graciously: Don’t take feedback personally. Take the lessons and leave the rest. But ensure you have learnt from the feedback. Don’t take offense. Let feedback be a tool for growth, not for condemnation.
- Respect them and be kind to them: Genuinely respect them and be kind to them. There is no benefit in being mean.
- Be intentional: Be proactive and act with purpose. Intentionality shows that you are proactive and prepared. Intentionality here shows that you respect your clients.
- Don’t burn bridges: When a business relationship ends, exit gracefully and keep the doors open. You never know what opportunities may come your way in the future or where you might need the help of your customers.
- Communicate effectively: Ensure that you are a proactive communicator. Keep your clients up-to-date. If anything changes in the plans you have made with your clients, it is important to communicate the changes.
- Have integrity: Do that which you say you will do and be someone your clients can trust.
- Keep growing: As you grow, your service grows, and how you positively impact your customer grows.
Delighting customers is important as a business owner. In what other ways can we delight customers? Drop your comments below.
