Are You Developing Raving Fans

by Justin Levy on February 17, 2009

It’s no surprise that word-of-mouth can be the best marketing a company could ask for.  It can also be the most detrimental to a company’s brand if that word-of-mouth is negative or even indifferent.  As we are going through difficult economic times, it becomes even more important that you cherish every single customer.  Furthermore, word-of-mouth is now on steroids with the speed at which information travels across and through social networks.  So, how do you ensure that your customers become a positive word-of-mouth vehicle for your company?  One way is through developing raving fans of your brand.

A few years ago I first read Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service. Back then I was in college studying sociology.  While the book made sense, it didn’t really sink ravingfansin what a “raving fan” was or why they were so important.  I recently decided to re-read the book again since I’m fascinated in developing positive employee cultures and the concept of developing raving or super fans.  If you haven’t ever read this book, this is a must-read and you should order it immediately.  Even if you have read it before, it’s one of those classic business books that should be read once a year or so just to remind yourself how important it is.

What are some ways that you can develop raving (or super) fans?  These are just some of the ways I try to develop raving fans at my steakhouse.

Developing Raving Fans

  1. Take the time to learn their name and something interesting about them.  Write it down and next time you meet them, ask them about whatever it was.
  2. Set up a listening post.  If you find someone talking negatively about your brand, address it directly with that person.  Chances are, they will appreciate it and may actually become a super fan of your brand.
  3. Learn what your customers actually want and then find a way to deliver it.
  4. Be humble
  5. If you find someone talking positively about your brand, reach out to them and thank them.
  6. Don’t always make it about your top or bottom line.  Zappos.com runs their warehouses 24/7 to provide fast service to their customers.  Inefficient from a labor prospective? Probably.  Develops raving fans who continue to buy?  Absolutely.
  7. Be human

Do you agree with this list?  What are other ways that you develop raving fans of your brand?

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Tagged as: , , , , ,

  • Justin--
    Here's an example I love. Two guys made a rap about McDonalds McNuggets. Not because they were paid to, but because they wanted to. Naturally, it got viral pickup of nearly 2 million views on YouTube. McDonalds got wind of this and is using them in a commercial.

    You want people to love your brand so much they would promote it for free.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSZ6k3QIsAk
  • Justin, just started reading you a few weeks ago. Good post. I am an avid reader and listener of books. One of the Big 3 items that I have my staff focus on is our #2 - Do the Unusual (or find out how). We are in the printing business and get asked to do all types of things. Most of the time the customer has no idea how difficult (or maybe impossible) it is to fulfill some requests. I want my staff to do the unusual or try the impossible, but let the customer know we are pushing the envelope "just for them." And if it is something we really can't do in house, don't let them walk out the door. Keep the project and we'll do the research to "find out how" it can be done. That way, we still get the credit.

    <abbr>David Moore’s last blog post..2 Examples of Remarkable Customer Service</abbr>
  • I like #7 on your list to just "be human" because that is so true. You have to be real with people or you won't be accepted by them. That is why people would rather talk to a person on the phone than a machine.

    Honestly I think the best way to develop "raving fans" is to do a good job. Sure going out of your way to do something special is great from time to time but not possible for all customers everyday. The key to any successful business is leaving the customer satisfied. If you continuously leave customers happy and satisfied they will continue to come back.
  • Well I definitely agree with the list! Here's what I would add...

    Listening alone is sterile so I think that responsiveness definitely counts!. In addition to finding what they (your customers) want and delivering, finding what they're unhappy with and providing a solution is important too.
blog comments powered by Disqus

Previous post:

Next post: