Fancy branding and cutesy advertising no longer work as the defining factors for closing a sale. Current day consumers are interested in the product offered; its quality, its longevity and its usability. These elements will make the product or the service one that is “likeable”.

However, in order to create a likeable business, everything that encompasses the consumer’s experience of your brand must be up to standard. This article is inspired by, and refers to, the book Likeable Business: Why Today's Consumers Demand More and How Leaders Can Deliver by Dave Kerpen (2012).

Intelligent Listening

Listening properly requires a concerted effort. Only through listening patiently, attentively and carefully, critically and sympathetically can you fully comprehend the wants and needs of clients, which in turn gives you the opportunity to respond with intelligent questions. Ask as many questions as possible, because assumptions and misunderstandings cause chaos. Clients want to feel heard, understood and valued. Intelligent listening and intelligent enquiry achieves this.

Ability and Reliability

Do you have the ability to deliver on promises flaunted via your marketing efforts? And secondly, can you prove yourself to be reliable throughout the process?

“Trust is built on two factors:

1. Ability
2. Reliability

So, a) can you do the job, and b) are you reliable and will you apply yourself to get the job done. These are questions that customers ask themselves before choosing one company over competitors. 

You can prove that you do indeed a) have the ability and b) integrity to complete the given job by referring to projects you’ve completed or validating yourself with customer testimonials. You have hundreds of opportunities to be truthful and as such prove that you are trustworthy.” Francois Karstel (2013)

For more on the above see Describing the Relationship Spectrum.

Transparency and Honesty

Consumers appreciate and respect transparency. Dave Kerpen explains that it is better to flaunt your business on the frontline, where nothing is hidden. For example, your company Facebook page and other social media platforms are not sanitised of complaints and suggestions. They welcome them. They expose their statuses, for example, their roll in environmental sustainability, clearly states terms, conditions and policies, their BEE status, etc.

Four points to note when transparency is the goal

1. There should always be a function allowing customers to send enquiries regarding offers. Responding to such enquiries, whether your answer is positive or negative, makes the consumer feel acknowledged and respected. Ignoring enquiries because you cannot provide a positive answer or solution is poor to say the least.
2. As mentioned above, consumers should be provided with valuable and useful information. Provide downloadable catalogues, eBooks, and brochures. Mail relevant information if they enquire about something specific.
3. Allow customers to comment on your website and blog articles. Provide space for comments on your on social media pages such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. In the age of social media, every person is a publisher. Consumers trust that social media platforms are provided for them to voice their experiences. However, these platforms are nothing less than a scam if only the positive gets published. When all comments, all ratings and all reviews are being published, your company has reached the status of transparency.
4. There will always be that hand full of unhappy customers – instead of ignoring them and sending their remarks to the recycle bin, they should be dealt with openly, honestly and strategically. If, for example, a complaint is posted on your Facebook page, you should respond as soon as a possible, and publicly. Explain the situation without excusing it. Don’t be defensive, and apologise if necessary. Most importantly: Provide a solution!

For more information on the above, see The Era of Truth and Transparency in Business.

Adaptability

Dave Kerpen emphasises the phenomenon of companies in this day and age having to adapt left right and centre to the ever-changing market demands. When a consumer tells you, “It would be great if you can do that, but please don’t break your back trying” (which is unlikely to come out of a consumer’s mouth in the first place) your response should be, “To break my back for you would be nothing less than a pleasure.” Be open minded, flexible, and willing to see to the consumer’s needs - even if it means treading unfamiliar territories.

Responsiveness

Respond to queries, requests, complaints from clients or prospects timeously. Dave Kerpen exclaims that consumers need to feel that they matter, and that you actually care about their business with you. No matter what the nature of the response, as long as you respond, the client will be at ease. Even if you need to inform a client that there is a delay on delivering a request, or that you don’t have an answer to their query but will find out and get back to them ASAP. The ignored client feels disrespected, and could easily view the business in its entirety as highly “unlikable”.

Gratitude

Gratitude and responsiveness goes hand in hand. The likable business runs on the mind-set that the client is doing them a favour. Not the other way around. The client does not have to do business with you, they chose you out of hundreds of other companies like yourself, and that is something to always remember. Yet, an attitude of gratitude means little if it is not communicated to the client. Have your clients know that you treasure their business. The Likeable business “loves” its clients.

What are the factors that you consider to define a likable business? Please share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.

Sound Idea Digital is a full service digital marketing agency. For more information contact 012 664 4227 or email to info@soundidea.co.za

Carla van Straten is a writer for Sound Idea Digital | Carla@soundidea.co.za | @SoundIdeaLMS| Sound Idea Digital l www.soundidea.co.za