Crafting the Customer Experience For People Not Like You: How to Delight and Engage the Customers Your Competitors Don't Understand

Conclusion

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this book. You’ve spent considerable time reading this, and I hope it’s been helpful to you and given you some ideas to try in your own business. Or, at a minimum, I hope that it’s inspired you to start thinking about ways you can craft an exceptional customer experience for different types of people. Going forward, this will be a key differentiator for your business as well as a powerful sales and customer retention strategy. Almost everything is in the hands of the consumer these days. From product information, to research on competitive companies and services, to information on pricing, to the ability to comparison shop and find less expensive alternatives elsewhere, to the level of community involvement your company has, customers can now know everything about you. And they base their decisions about whether to do business with you on some or all of these factors.

Other than being “the good guy”—being the company with stellar business ethics, fair and competitive pricing, progressive hiring practices and employee benefits, and a strong connection to your local community—there are many things you can’t control. You can’t control the economy. You can’t control the stock market. You’re probably not able to exert much control over the cost of goods and labor. But the one thing that is totally in your control at all times is the customer experience.

This should be an empowering thought. This should make you feel excited about serving your ...