Seven “Mindshare Methods” to Maximum Brand Loyalty
by Libby Gill
ISBN 978-1-137-7851-7
To create a compelling brand, you have to capture more than just the market share, you have to capture the mindshare – that is, the heads, hearts, souls and unimpeachable trust of your customers. That’s what leads to long-term brand loyalty.
The Seven Mindshare Methods she cites are:
Clarify Your Customer Benefits: When describing your brand, be sure to focus on your customer benefits, not just your products or services. Use clear and compelling language and lead with your customers’ best interests, not your pedigree or technical specs. Remember, it’s what you can do for them and not vice versa.
Commit to Providing Exceptional Value: Confirm your commitment to value and customer success. Keep the big picture top-of-mind, but remember that every action you take on behalf of your client, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is an opportunity to provide additional value to enhance their overall experience. Blow their minds and they’ll keep coming back for more.
Connect at Every Possible Touch-point: It can take a dozen or more interactions – including emails, phone calls, newsletters or in-person meetings – before you begin to build a relationship with a prospect. If you think of this relationship-building process as a series of connective touch-points, you begin to see all the opportunities you have to deepen the relationship. Review and redesign your customer touch-points to make every interaction count.
Communicate with Total Confidence: Prepare, practice, and participate! Studies show that people who are extroverted, confident, or even assertive in the workplace have a competitive advantage over their more introverted peers (even when those peers are more talented). Come to meetings armed with critical information, industry updates, news headlines, and even sports scores so you can participate effectively. Sit in the front, dress appropriately, act as though you are worthy of attention – without being obnoxious – and you’ll get it.
Collaborate Openly with Clients and Colleagues: Information is the organizational life-blood on which decisions are made in every business. Except for confidential or proprietary data that can’t be shared, pass information readily both up and down the pipeline that can help others make timely decisions. This doesn’t just mean sharing the facts, but also the nuances or “emotional truths” that you encounter
Compete with the Invisible Competition: Recognize, research, and analyze your competition so you can consistently outperform them. Go beyond the obvious direct competition – that is, companies whose offerings fill a similar need as yours. Identify the indirect competition, that is, anything that disrupts the buying process, like new technologies. But pay special attention to the invisible competition, including new challengers, competitive alliances, and even customer fear or inertia.
Contribute to the Community: Get involved in your community and actively support social causes that make sense for your business. Choose one or more charities that complement your brand. Contribute substantially and meaningfully with money, time and people. Donate products, pro-bono services, or other institutional or technological capabilities. Engage your management, staff, and employees to authentically support the goals and objectives of your chosen charitable organization.
About Libby Gill
An internationally recognized executive coach and branding expert with over 20 years of industry experience, Libby is the former head of communications and PR for Sony, Universal, and Turner Broadcasting. She is known as the “branding brain” behind the launch of the Dr. Phil Show. Her clients include ABC-Disney, Nike, PayPal, Warner Brothers, Wells Fargo, and many others.
Libby’s previous books include Traveling Hopefully: How to Lose Your Family Baggage and Jumpstart Your Life and award-winning You Unstuck: Mastering the New Rules of Risk-taking in Work and Life, which has been endorsed by business leaders including Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh and Dr. Ken Blanchard. A graduate of California State University at Long Beach with a degree in theatre, Libby has been a college instructor, a columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and a soap opera actress. She lives in Los Angeles, California and is the proud mother of two sons.
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