Customer engagement – easy to say hard to win

A worldwide study by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that the overwhelming majority of executives believe that customer engagement, not products or price, is the winning competitive differentiator – yet close on nine in ten admit their customers are not fully engaged

Only just over one in ten (13%) of these executives believe their customers are fully engaged with their company.  John I. Todor, Ph.D. author of a new book, "Addicted Customers: How to Get Them Hooked on Your Company," points out that most businesses simply don't have a methodology to make the shift from product-centric, transactional business practices to ones that focus on the customer.

In his book, Todor makes a distinction between engagement as getting customers' attention and focusing it on purchase, and customer engagement that leads to desire and long-term commitment. He states "To make an enduring and meaningful connection, the connection must be engaging and get the customer engaged. The company must draw the customer into the experience and the customer must get emotionally and psychologically involved."

Why is this so difficult? Todor, a psychologist and business strategy consultant, makes the case that each customer uses one of two buying personalities and the circumstances dictate which one comes into play. In his book, he shows how most companies are courting the wrong personality. "Companies trigger the indifferent buying personality that focuses on the best trade-off between price, incentives and convenience" says Todor. As a result, he contends, customers focus on purchases as a "means-to-an-end," the utility that will enable them to complete a task. In an era of abundance and overwhelming choice, customers can play competitors against each other and have no reason to be loyal.

In contrast, Todor contends "the engaged personality comes into play when the experience enabled by the product has meaning or value to the customer, not just in the sense of utility but because it is intrinsically gratifying. That is, the customer experience involves customers emotionally or psychologically and this involvement gives meaning or value to the experience." His book lays out the psychological principles that lead to customer engagement and compelling customer experience. It also illustrates the business practices companies are using to put these principles into action.

Bill Flitter, VP of Marketing at Pheedo states, "This book connects the pieces you need to know about engaging customers in an era when they are in control. Keep a notepad by your side. This book will inspire great ideas on how you can engage your customers during the buying experience."

Addicted Customers is a 248 page hardcover book. It is now available at www.AddictedCustomers.com or www.Amazon.com. A related and free enewsletter "Hooked: The Psychology of the Customer Experience" is available at www.thewhetstoneedge.com/newslettersubscription.php.