Promotional Products Blog

Z-Coil has a simple business philosophy: build the most comfortable shoe in the world. And, according to hundreds of testimonies from customers they're doing a pretty good job.

By responding to the needs of a particular market segment - people who, quite literally, feel pain wearing normal shoes - Z-Coil is creating a passionate customer base who will do anything, including driving 3 hours to get to a store that carries the products.

And, in return, Z-Coil will do just about anything to sastisfy their customers. The company holds quarterly “meetups” with customers to determine what works and what doesn't about their products. By flying in 10-12 customers for each meetup, Z-Coil is able to go beyond the “focus group” to customers who believe in the company. This passion has caused Z-Coil to believe in their customers as well. A healthy relationship if I ever saw one.

From Church of the Customer comes a great roundup of 2005 Resolutions:

1. Gather more customer feedback. Call at least one long-term or loyal customer every week.

2. Be more transparent. Napsterize more of your systems, processes and decision-making to customers and watch how they naturally take ownership of the concept and the company.

3. Be more authentic and personal. Focus  email newsletters and website content on stories about
customers, and less on branding your company as the savior of everything.

4. Napsterize your knowledge. Offer at least one how-to case study to an industry trade magazine about a successful marketing effort you created. Ideally, it will demonstrate how the program created word of mouth and inspired customer evangelism.

5. Give up rewards programs. Let your competitors create expensive and headache-filled programs that reward customers with cash, rebates or points and let them attract the unprofitable customers.

6. Communicate with customers more often. Start off by simply asking  what you can do to improve the relationship.

7. Be more visible. Speak to at least three trade associations about issues and solutions affecting your industry and customers. Resolve that your presentations will not focus on your products or company.

8. Divide at least one product or service into a bite-size chunk. Make it inexpensive, easy or fun.
Stand firm when the engineering group says this cannot be done.

9. Get customers involved. Offer your most passionate customers a special-access or backstage program, such as a customer advisory board, a VIP tour of company operations, lunch with the CEO, or an invitation to beta-test new products or services.

10. Somehow, change the world. Create at least one new product or service that will change the lives of your customers.

The take away from these suggestions really is that communicating with your customers and treating your customers as a valued part of your business is a key to succesful growth - and one that will ensure your customers keep coming back for years to come.