Over the course of the last year, I've collaborated with more than a hundred CEOs. And in every one of those exchanges, there was one subject that came up more often than any other.
Everyone in business wants to discover the secret to fostering relationships with locals. Having a good product or service is insufficient in today's market. Many consumers now expect improved service from the businesses that get their hard-earned money.
They want to feel like they're a part of something.
People shop where they feel like they belong.
People in this generation are searching for belonging.
This phenomenon is spreading rapidly across all sectors of the economy. Baby product retailers are devoting significant efforts to building a network of parents who use their products. Businesses in the health and wellness industry are ramping up their online community outreach in an attempt to introduce their goods and services to people who share a passion for exercise, healthy eating, and living a long and fulfilling life.
As well it should, of course. We're all hungry for human connection now that our lives have been taken over by smartphones, innumerable streaming services, and professions that permanently glue our eyes to screens.
Although it may seem illogical to some, one may see this relationship in the world of business. Almost every company catering to the general public was founded to address a need in the market.
You probably have a lot of similarities with the other customers if you're drawn to a certain establishment. Buying from a local company automatically labels you as a member of that community.
This is something we have verified to be correct. Someone who frequents Lululemon stores is...
If someone tells you they go to CrossFit, what is your first thought?
How do you feel when you're carrying a Starbucks cup throughout town?
The business world has a remarkable capacity to form communities and even whole cultures. And when that energy is put to good use, it can create an enduring brand and remarkable consumer loyalty.
The best companies allow us to expand our identities and feel like we belong to something bigger than ourselves.
In order to foster community, consider these 10 pointers.
Use Nicknames as the Primary Activity
The value of direct human interaction is greater now than ever before. If you ever have the chance to see your customers in person, you should prioritize developing meaningful relationships with them.
A simple exercise like saying, "Before we start, let's walk around the room, have everyone give their name and one thing about yourself you're most proud of. " may have a profound effect on your connection with customers.
Sharing makes people more vulnerable and so increases connection within a group.
Throw Get-Togethers
Customers like knowing that you see them as more than just a transaction when you provide them parties and other social activities. One of the finest methods to create trust — both with you and among other customers — is to take the time to mix and engage directly with them.
And when things do go wrong, and they will, this kind of investment pays out in spades. Establishing reliable relationships in these settings lays the groundwork for more amicable dispute resolution in the future.
Use Handwritten Cards
Traditional greeting cards delivered in the mail by hand are becoming more rare. Which is why it's so much more appreciated when you take the time to send one to a customer.
Sending a client a card when you learn that they have moved or lost a loved one is a simple way to connect on an emotional level and win their loyalty for the long haul.
Honor Key Achievements
There will be highs and lows along every customer's path. Recognizing situations in which everyone can "win" and rallying the community behind them to celebrate them is a crucial aspect of constructing a cohesive group.
There are various opportunities to do so in the fitness industry, from marking milestones in performance like a client's first pull-up to marking milestones in the training process like reaching the 100-season mark.
The party's scale is up to you. It's not necessary to go to great lengths to show appreciation; a simple "Congratulations on your first pull-up!" may go a long way. The constancy with which we perform the gesture is much more important than the magnitude of the motion itself.
Every company has a responsibility to outline the key steps to success and to publicly recognize achievement at each one.
Inquire about Opinions and Pay Attention
This, this, and this are just some of the many pieces we've published on the subject of the value of soliciting consistent input from your tribe. I believe this is a crucial issue for any company's future.
As a matter of fact, I'd go so far as to argue that feedback is the very blood of any community's leaders. The success of any effort to build and maintain a community hinges on the extent to which its members are encouraged to share their thoughts about the group's strengths and weaknesses on a frequent basis.
To really lead a community, you must be receptive to its members' changing needs and identities throughout time.
Cultivate a Distinct Language
Ask any linguist or anthropologist about the importance of developing a unique language for your people. A tribe's language is fundamental to that people's way of life. Consider the words you use in your business interactions and think about how you may improve them. Do all the people in your area promote your business in the same way? Have you ensured that the language you use to discuss what's important to you as a community is shared by everyone in your tribe?
When a group of people all use the same language, that group becomes more powerful as a whole.
Participate in Discussion Boards
Despite its tactical nature, this is of great value. As a community leader, your major responsibility is to provide a system of platforms where your people may meet, exchange ideas, debate, and strengthen one another. Facebook Groups provide us with the best (albeit "free" may be debatable) tools available to do this.
Using a platform such as Facebook Groups also has a huge amount of ancillary benefit. Once people in your community have a central location to get answers to their questions, natural leaders will develop. Newer members will be guided by the community's more seasoned members.
When the learned person becomes the teacher in your tribe, you give that person a lifelong feeling of significance and belonging.
Help Make Unexpected Links
All expressions of your community will not be predetermined. It is common for there to be subdivisions within a larger tribe. I'm not referring to the kind of cliques and factions that cause problems, but rather natural, organic groupings formed around common interests.
If, for whatever reason (trust me, I'm serious here), your firm deals in unicorns, you could discover that many of your customers are also fond of narwhals (which are kind of like a cross between a whale and a unicorn). My advice is to keep your passions burning bright.
If it's important to your customers, it's probably important to you, and it may even inspire your next offering.
Create Structure and Norms
All of my proposals up to this point have had a very kumbaya vibe to them, but it's also vital to have defined limits. Your people need to know not just what good conduct is, but also what is not tolerated as part of the tribe.
The finest communities make it a priority to communicate and reinforce behavioral norms from an early age. It's not the most exciting component of developing a community, but it's a necessary one.
The appropriate set of laws may bring about liberty. Rulelessness often leads to anarchy.
Promote Diversity and Inclusion
I'm going to make the big finish here straightforward. Communities that actively seek out and celebrate differences have a greater chance of success and growth than those that do not.
Let individuals choose to leave your community on their own rather than keeping them out entirely.