Don’t get me wrong, customers pay the bills and without them you’re dead in the water as a business, however moving a customer along a loyalty curve towards becoming a fan is the ultimate achievement.

If you’re not aiming to do this in your business, I think you’re doing something wrong…

Why?

• Fans don’t abandon you when the slightest thing goes wrong.
• Fans are advocates for your business, spread your word and protect you in times of need.
• Fans will buy from you time and time again.

Elevating customers to fans isn’t an exact science, however there’s some pointers below I’ve picked up from working with and noticing people and companies with true fan bases…

• Set out to make a real difference with your product or service – the more life-changing and inspirational, the faster that customer accelerates up the fan curve.
• Be generous with your time, but be smart the way you manage your priorities.
• Be selfless, without being ridiculous about it.
• Give a lot away for free but don’t be afraid of asking for the sale or you don’t have a business.
• Add huge amounts of value regularly via different media.
• Tell stories.
• Accept mistakes, but fix them fast and make things better than they were before.
• Study how Apple, First Direct and the Virgin Group market AND service their customers – they are companies with real fan bases. (Link to First Direct for those who don’t know them.)
• Exude confidence.
• Surround yourself with only exceptional people.

Getting your business to this phase in its evolution clearly doesn’t happen over night.

To achieve this status, you have to know where you’re heading, follow a process and be disciplined. Without that, you will always struggle.

What are you doing to turn your customers into fans?