Every once in a while it’s good to dust important things off from the archives. The idea of creating customers that come to you first- not when there are no other options- was resonating with me, so here we go.
In the scheme of personal relationships, the top of the totem pole is unconditional love and pretty near the bottom is the booty call. If you aren’t hip to the lingo, a booty call is where you go when you are in need of, ahem, something, and you accept something familiar that you wouldn’t go near if you had other options at that moment.
In business, you don’t want to be the booty call- the de facto “well I will buy from you because I have a need and I know you, but I don’t have the time or ability to look for other options at the moment”. If you don’t differentiate your business, provide outstanding value or make your customers feel special, you will become a “one and done” transaction for your customer.
Strive to create raving fans that love your business. You want to be the business that your customers tell all of your friends about (without looking ashamed). Don’t be the company that customers only turn to out of desperation.
Being “good enough for now” isn’t good enough.