There are certain key concepts that reflect our view of the customer and illustrate how we help companies build a strategy to truly connect with their customers. These reflect our unique perspective on the customer and our creative approach to building customer value, delivering impressive customer experiences, creating short-term customer satisfaction and solid long-term relationships.

We can’t build a genuine connection with customers unless we understand them and what they are trying to get done. The job of your firm is to help them get the job done, to feel good about themselves, and look good in the eyes of others.

These self-contradictory concepts reflect our unique view of how companies should think about their customers and deliver valuable and memorable customer experiences. Ask us about Planned Spontaneity, Future Memories and Proactive Hindsight.

A great deal of business is lost because we don’t pay enough attention to customers who have already decided to buy. Companies regularly make it so difficult to deal with them that customers walk out without buying, hang up in disgust, or head for a competitor’s website.

Customers resent being made to “feel like a number”—when their interaction with a firm is impersonal. We focus on “fitting” the product, service or solution to the customer. Customers are impressed when they are singled out for personalized attention.

As customers live their lives, they experience a series of what we call “small milestones” — events that mark the progression of time and the transition from one life stage to the next. These represent opportunities to help customers “celebrate” and ease the transition. Let us help you build your “small milestones” strategy.

Over time, the “little things” that you do or don’t do in dealing with customers have the potential to become irritants; they detract from the quality of your product and contribute to a negative customer experience. You may not notice the “little things”, but your customers certainly do.

Businesses spend a lot of time trying to understand what customers expect. Our experience has led us to conclude that customer expectations are bounded and predictable. It’s addressing what they are not expecting that will be truly impressive. Customers are not expecting to be surprised.

Our research shows that loyal, long-standing customers are well aware of the contribution they have made to the success of your firm and feel they deserve some recognition and appreciation. Customers appreciate it when their loyalty to a company or brand is acknowledged. In fact, you owe it to them.

Your reputation is influenced by every interaction that customers have with your staff. The success of your brand lies largely in the hands of your employees who have more influence over how customers feel about you than your marketing department does. Human Resources must be part of your customer and brand strategy.

We are intrigued by the volume of human conversation that is devoted to customers’ interactions with companies and brands. We estimate that as much as 60% of conversation deals with products, brands and service. They are talking about you; give them something impressive to talk about.