Why did the PolitcalWire blog run an article in mid-March this year called “Joe Biden’s 2021 Campaign“? What’s he running for?
Here are my take and the lesson that business communicators should draw from it.
The COVID-19 relief bill that passed the House and the Senate and was signed into law by the president is the legislation that will make or break Americans’ impression of the Biden administration. Yes, he got the win, but that doesn’t mean the issue is settled or that it is time to fully move on to the next big rock that needs attention.
Biden and his allies know that although they got their win, it is critical to keep the momentum, remind the public of the bill’s benefits, and keep the pressure on for smooth implementation.
“Taking a victory lap” is a political tradition. It’s not (exclusively) to crow about the victory and remind the vanquished that you won this round—communicating well and regularly throughout implementation is a critical part of keeping the win a win.
You may have heard of the “Rule of Seven.” This marketing rule says that to get your message to stick in your audience’s head, you need to make at least seven impressions.
Good communication is critical for getting the initial sale. It is equally essential for keeping the deal sold, driving adoption and usage, and building relationships so you can expand.
To turn new clients into repeat customers, to encourage referrals, to drive satisfaction, everything you do after the sale counts.
In the B2B world, this means planning, managing, and flawlessly executing the onboarding process. Software-as-a-Service companies find a meaningful correlation between adoption rates and the “stickiness” of their solutions. When all the right people are using the product and can use all the features they need, churn drops to practically zero.
In the B2C world, the customer who visits your website or walks through your retail doorway again is the one who continues to feel good about your brand and their experience, and maybe what you have added to their life after each new sale.
For employees, partners, and other stakeholders (including shareholders), reminders of your purpose, values, and principles keep the momentum going and give life to your mission and vision. This is why publishing motivational posters is a multi-billion dollar business.
For any audience, here are a few ways to keep the win after the win. Each one won’t apply to all situations, so find the ones that speak to you and your organization, and use these to inspire your creativity!
- Build community. What do your customers have in common, and how can you help them help each other? Working with a client-focused on startups, we ran regional meet-upsto connect founders with founders to help them help each other, and my client looked good simply for arranging the events and picking up the bar tab.
- Complex products have layers. How can you help your clients uncover new uses, new capabilities? Heck, I bought a simple non-stick pan from a boutique online cookware retailer, and now I actually look forward to getting emails from them with recipes and cooking tips.
- Share best practices. Has one customer done something insightful, unusual, and useful with your product or service? How many of your other customers would find value in doing the same? This might take the form of a case study or success story and could be shared in a seminar, webinar, newsletter, or through your client-facing professionals, but become a collector and sharer of good stories.
- Lagniappe. Like the bartender who slides a taste of something exotic and tasty your way as she delivers your check, or the shopkeeper who throws a few candies into your bag when you bring the kids shopping, or the baker who says, “try this” with a treat when you’ve completed your purchase… a little something extra is always appreciated. A few hours of consulting that weren’t negotiated, but you throw in to ensure a smooth transition?A book sent a few days after a conversation? Everybody loves something for nothing, and even more, we all love to feel seen and appreciated. Make it happen.
Keep selling after the sale, and your clients won’t see it as selling. They’ll see it as customer service and feel it as being valued.