Key Takeaways
- Customers are humans, not just people who buy from you; people buy from people they like, so find a common interest with your customer.
- Intensive Personal Research (IPR) means going the extra mile to learn about your customer and adding a personal touch here and there to build a stronger, more personable relationship.
- Three practical IPR tactics: set up a Google alert for the company name and main contact, connect on LinkedIn and check for common interest groups, and follow them on Twitter, but skip Facebook and Instagram, which are too personal.
- When you see something interesting, send a quick, personal note to your customer, and make it a new daily or weekly habit; above all, be authentic and don't be creepy.
Here's a challenge. Can you answer the following questions about your customers?
What's their favorite interest? Sport? Sports team? Charity and/or cause? What's important to them? When’s their
birthday? Work Anniversary? Work goals? Have they or their company recently won an award?
Customers are humans. Not just people that buy from you.
People buy from people they like. Find a common interest with your customer.
Here's a great way to know your customer better.
Do Intensive Personal Research or "IPR" as I like to call it. I'm not talking about going through someone's trash or camping out in front of their house (that's creepy and not to mention illegal). I am referring to going the extra mile to learn about your customer and add a personal touch here and there to build a stronger, more personable relationship. After all, the best way to get to know someone is to learn about them.
1) Setup a Google alert for the company name and name of main contact. This will push alerts to you when they are in the news.
2) Connect on LinkedIn and see if you have common groups of interest. Check what LinkedIn groups they belong to.
3) Follow them on Twitter. (Not Facebook or Instagram ~ too personal and again it would be creepy) - Do you have similar interests? Do you both tweet about running marathons or the latest book you read?
If you see something interesting send a quick, personal note to your customer. Make this a new daily or weekly habit.
Now it's your turn. Take the challenge. And remember - be authentic. And most of all don't be creepy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I build a more personal relationship with my customers?
Remember that customers are humans, not just people who buy from you, and that people buy from people they like. Find a common interest with your customer, learn about them, and add a personal touch here and there. When you see something interesting about them or their company, send a quick, personal note, and make that a daily or weekly habit.
What is Intensive Personal Research (IPR)?
IPR is going the extra mile to learn about your customer so you can add personal touches that build a stronger, more personable relationship. It is not about going through someone's trash or camping out in front of their house; it is simply the recognition that the best way to get to know someone is to learn about them, done authentically and without being creepy.
What tools can help you learn more about your customers?
Three simple ones. Set up a Google alert for the company name and the name of your main contact so news about them is pushed to you. Connect on LinkedIn and check whether you share common interest groups. And follow them on Twitter to spot shared interests, like running marathons or the latest book they read. Skip Facebook and Instagram, which are too personal.
What should you know about your customers?
More than their purchase history. Can you answer questions like: What is their favorite interest, sport, or sports team? What charity or cause matters to them? When is their birthday or work anniversary? What are their work goals? Have they or their company recently won an award? Knowing these things gives you natural openings for the personal notes and common ground that relationships are built on.
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