When’s the last time you made a purchase from a business you actively dislike? On the contrary, when’s the last time you chose the more expensive brand, because you like and trust the company? Remember when America learned that the Houston Astros had been cheating? The organization was booed each time they stepped up to the plate, literally. And remember when Alexis Ohanian stepped down from his position on Reddit’s board and called for the company to fill his seat with a black board member? He was revered and applauded, and his move helped push Reddit towards the more philanthropic side of the movement after a rocky history around racial issues. 

Customers make their purchasing decisions based on the sentiments they’ve built around a company and its competitors. Businesses are at the mercy of their consumers. These consumers are flooded and overwhelmed with purchasing behaviors and buying decisions nearly every minute of every day. What toothpaste should I use in the morning? What should I eat for lunch? Which YouTube video should I click next? Companies are in a constant state of competition, as they fight to earn the trust of their future customers. As a business, you need to put the focus on getting customers to like you over getting customers to buy from you. If you’re able to invoke a positive sentiment around your brand and build trust, the rest of the pieces will fall into place. 

So, how do you get customers to like you? As a marketing consultant, I educate my clients on what it means to have HEART. I developed the HEART Approach to instill a constant reminder in companies of the qualities and characteristics necessary for earning the affinity of their customers. You gotta have HEART.

The HEART Approach:

• Honesty

• Empathy

• Accessibility

• Relatability

• Transparency

Honesty

Leave the empty promises to the politicians. Customers will never do business with companies they don’t trust. Do what you say you’re going to do. Starting with your value proposition and steering the way through your marketing strategy, operations, and customer service, always lead with honesty. If a mistake is made, come clean. Don’t try to excuse yourself with “sorry you didn’t get the email — our system went down.” Nobody’s buying it and you’re only losing face. Get on your customers’ level. Humanize yourself and your brand. If you tell your client you’ll “look into that,” look into it. If you announce you’ll be donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross to help fight the wildfires, donate $100,000. Then prove it. Call that client and give them an update on what you’ve learned. Share your donation confirmation page and encourage others to help fight the fight. Be in charge of your own narrative, or you’ll be at the mercy of skeptical patrons waiting in the wings for your misstep moment. The goal is to get your customers to trust you. It can take several accounts to earn trust, but that trust can be lost in an instant. Once trust is violated, the customer is gone for good. Say what you mean, do what you say, and own up to your mistakes.

Empathy

Whatever it is your company does, from managing databases to running yoga classes in the park, you’re providing a solution for your customers. They have a problem and they’re coming to you to solve it. Use your brand identity, your voice, and your tone to guide the solution and allow your customers to feel comfortable that they’ve come to the right place. Understand the issues and opportunities that drive your customers and listen to what they’re telling you. Your company is not about you. Customers aren’t flocking to you because they want to hear why you’re great. It must always be about them. If you’re selling shoes, don’t put the focus on the time your designers spent on creating the perfect 3-inch heel. Lead with the why. Showcase how you’re there for your customer, that you understand how important it is to feel empowered when they walk into the boardroom as the token woman, and that these shoes will be just the tool they need to bring out the confidence and strength they already have within them. You are not a business transaction. You are a solution. Don’t say you care. Show it.

Accessibility

Remember that time your cable went out? We’ve all been there. It’s usually at a pivotal moment, like right before the Bachelor gives out his final rose of the evening. And then it begins. First you spend 17 minutes trying to find the correct phone number. You press 2 to report an outage, 5 to continue in English, and then 0 to speak to a representative. You’re connected to Susan who sounds even more miserable than you do, and she tells you to unplug the cable and plug it back in (which you’ve obviously already tried). You’re put on hold 3 separate times, transferred to a manager, and finally given an appointment for service next Saturday after 57 minutes of frustration. Don’t be the cable company.

If you want customers to like you, make it easy for them to get in touch with you. Make your phone number easily visible on your site and your social channels. If you don’t have a 24-hour service line, make sure to include your business hours to set expectations. Put a contact form on every page and let them know the timeframe of when they can expect to hear from you. Don’t make your customers jump through hoops just to talk to you. If you can, provide a direct line or direct email so they can get through to the right person on the first try. And then be happy to help. Don’t be Susan. Welcome your customers’ questions and their feedback. Be honest and empathetic. 

Relatability

Just like a 16-year-old who wouldn’t be caught dead in her Justin Bieber Purpose World Tour tee, because that was so 2017, customers aren’t attracted to companies that are outdated, off trend, or not relatable. Your goal as a brand is to create a connection with your customer. Connections create trust and trust leads to conversion. Your goal is for people to envision themselves upon seeing your brand. A customer will be drawn to you because you make sense to them. You get them and they get you. You read what they read, you watch what they watch, you listen to what they listen to. You understand the problems they’re having, because you’ve experienced the same ones. The language and tone you use should be reflective of that of your customers. Use lingo that’s relevant to your audience and your industry. Make sure your images include people who are representative of your target market.

Relatability doesn’t necessarily mean current. If your product is magnifying reading glasses and you’re targeting women over 70, using nostalgia and referencing your Sophie’s Choice hardcover that you bought at the local Waldenbooks in 1980 may be the recipe for building your relatability factor. If your product is a purple, sparkly moisturizer targeted towards tween girls, your relatability factor may come by way of a Charli D’Amelio-style TikTok dance. Whatever your secret sauce may be, the goal is to give your audience the opportunity to see themselves reflected in your brand. 

Transparency

Transparency gives both your customers and employees alike a window into the values and operations of your business. Transparency fosters trust, and nobody wants to work with or work for a company they do not trust. Sharing key information with your audience, like how your product is made, what your internal goals are, or the number of women on your executive team, proves that you have nothing to hide. It allows customers to feel confident about their purchasing behavior and feel more connected to your brand, which creates customer loyalty. With the wonderful world of social media, it takes one leaked story to ruin a company’s reputation. If you’re proactive and stay ahead of the game, you can avoid the tabloids. 

We’re in the age of getting information the second we want it. There’s no more waiting for the Sunday paper or looking it up in your Encyclopedia Britannica. People expect to have the answers to their questions in just one click. If someone is interested in where your products are made, but they can’t find the answer within the first page of search results, then you’re leading consumers towards suspicion. Be forthcoming and remove any doubt.

We’re also in the age of ethical and social responsibility (as we should be). Customers want to know how you’re getting involved or what your company is doing or changing in response to specific causes or movements. Whatever it is your company feels is the right decision, even if it’s choosing not to participate, share your stance and give your reasons. Own your story and invite others to read it. 

Use these five ingredients to build a brand that people will love. Foster trust through honesty, prove you’re a caring solution through empathy, provide a lifeline through accessibility, be a reflection of your customer through relatability, and create confident consumers through transparency. These attributes should drive your business through each stage of the customer lifecycle. Keep the focus on being likable rather than building revenue and you’ll create a happy community of loyal customers. Let the HEART Approach transcend into your personal life, too, to promote positive relationships built on integrity. No matter where you are or what you do, lead with your HEART. ❤️