In 4 steps from loyal customer to brand ambassador in the B2B
Over the years, you have gathered a loyal base of customers around you partially as a result of your savings program. Something to be proud of! Actually, you would like to do more with that. Couldn’t you ask them to put your company in a positive light with fellow companies? No, you wouldn’t dare. What if they say “no”? Or worse, what if they feel like they’re getting in the way? We tell you how to do this step by step in an effective way.
“Approach first your most loyal customers who have the most influence.”
Step 1: Map out who your most loyal customers are
You can’t go around randomly asking customers for a reference. You make the most impact by targeting the right customers. Take stock of who your most loyal customers are and who have the most influence. Your loyalty program is obviously where you find your biggest fans. Start with this group. They are already positive about your business and have some level of customer loyalty. So if anyone is willing to recommend you to others, it’s them.
Step 2: Determine the ideal way to ask for a reference within the customer journey
There are actually three ways to activate your ambassadors:
You ask for a personal introduction to someone in their network
You ask to post something about your product or service on social media
You ask specifically for reviews and ratings (on your own website or on independent platforms).
Think critically about what works best for you at this time. Also consider how personal you want to make it. Will you settle for pushing a standardized ‘Tell a friend’ button (which does seem a bit like advertising…) or would you prefer that people share a nice picture of themselves with your product on social media, for example? That conveys a completely different feeling and will likely make a bigger impression with a new group of potential buyers.
“Obviously, you want the message your ambassadors convey to be perfectly in line with your brand identity.”
Step 3: Reward your ambassadors specifically for their efforts
The chances of success are obviously a lot higher if you promise your ambassadors something in return: ‘what’s in it for me’? For example, in the form of personal gifts that you know they like. Or in the form of benefits in the relationship they have with you, such as not charging shipping costs on an order, being one of the first to test new product releases, or offering the privilege of always being able to buy, even when products are scarce (such as the latest Playstation).
Step 4: Decide for yourself what you want to stand out for
Think carefully about what you want to be recommended to other people: what do you want to differentiate yourself with? For example, Action is praised for its cheap gadgets, while Apple prefers to be labelled as the supplier of quality equipment. Of course, you want the message your ambassadors convey about you to perfectly match your brand identity. You can influence this to some extent by, for instance, asking them to write something about you on a price comparison site (in Action’s case) or in more technical communities (in Apple’s case). At the same time, you have to be careful not to drive too much content here. After all, word-of-mouth advertising still works best when it is authentic and genuine.
According to sales theory, it is about creating so-called positive working relationships, or relationships that are so satisfied with your business that they introduce or recommend you to others who might be of interest to you. They are not likely to do that on their own so you will have to explicitly ask. And that takes courage. In our experience, however, most people are more than happy to do so. It always results in a nice conversation anyway. So: just do it!
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