{"id":842,"date":"2013-10-10T15:38:45","date_gmt":"2013-10-10T15:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=842"},"modified":"2013-10-10T15:38:45","modified_gmt":"2013-10-10T15:38:45","slug":"how-to-build-an-emotional-connection-with-your-small-business-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/how-to-build-an-emotional-connection-with-your-small-business-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build an emotional connection with your small business customers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"smb-tech-trends\"<\/a>Can you imagine your customers camping out in front of your small business waiting for the next generation of your product or to sign up for your latest service offering?\u00a0 If you\u2019ve wondered how Apple manages to evoke that kind of devotion among its fans, you need to look beyond the features of its latest mobile devices<\/a>, however impressive they may be. The secret of Apple\u2019s success lies not only in its innovation but in its ability to forge an emotional connection with its customers.<\/p>\n

Tapping into the emotions of your customers is essential to the success of your marketing efforts. While feature and pricing are important considerations, the emotional connection you make with buyers is what sets you apart from the competition and makes your business a preferred brand.<\/p>\n

In \u201cHow Emotions Influence What We Buy<\/a>,\u201d in Psychology Today, Peter Noel Murray, Ph.D., principal of a consumer technology practice, points out that \u201cFunctional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI) neuro-imagery shows that when evaluating brands, consumers primarily use emotions (personal feelings and experiences) rather than information (brand attributes, features, and facts).\u201d He goes on to say that \u201cstudies show that positive emotions toward a brand have far greater influence on consumer loyalty than trust and other judgments which are based on a brand\u2019s attributes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find your emotional appeal<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not sure exactly what kind of emotional response your brand evokes among your customers; spend time finding out. Inquire how they view your brand and what emotional connection they have with it through conversations over the phone, face-to-face or via chat or email; social media <\/a>interaction and surveys. The feedback will help you develop the messaging to support your brand to distinguish you small business offerings from the competition.<\/p>\n

Reinforce the emotional bond<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Results\"<\/a>Once you\u2019ve identified the emotional benefits or attributes that connect your customers to your <\/b>brand, keep reinforcing them throughout your marketing initiatives \u2013 marketing materials, advertisements, social media content and more. Also review your sales and ongoing customer support processes and procedures to be sure every step reinforces the desired emotional connection with your customers.<\/p>\n

You continue to nurture the emotional connection when you:<\/p>\n