Newly Corporate

Sunday was a beautiful, bright and hot day in downtown Milwaukee, not a bad day to walk a few blocks but less than ideal for lugging 20 pounds of ice, 3 six packs and a 12 pack of beer four blocks to  my car.  Nonetheless, there I was with my box of beer and ice perilously balanced as I walked along pondering why I was so loyal to the particular liquor store (Blatz Liquor in the Old Blatz Brewery) I had just left.

Why, when I couldn’t find parking due to a big event downtown, did I park in the lot of one store that sold beer and walk 4 blocks to another one on this particular Sunday ? It sure wasn’t for loyalty points that would eventually get me a $5 off coupon.  It was because of the relationship, through connections, product knowledge and communication, I had developed with the store and the people that work there.

Here are the “three secrets” (or just old fashioned common sense ideas) to developing good relationships and driving true customer loyalty from Generation Y individuals:

Connections

In the case mentioned above, the owner of the store (Joe Woelfle, @BlatzLiquor, 1000+ Followers)  and the staff interact directly with customers making connections in person around the product being sold.  That’s not all though, Joe and his team reach out via Facebook and Twitter to engage a loyal customer base even before they show up in person.

Product Knowledge

Big box stores have their place and shouldn’t be ignored but, the knowledge that some stores can share leave customers satisfied and looking forward to their next purchase.  This fulfillment of  customer curiosity is often viewed as paramount for Gen Y Young Professionals.

Think about the Apple Store, an undisputed leader in marketing to the Millenial generation, it has hands-on examples everywhere and never-ending opportunities for classes and one-on-one sessions.  Product knowledge sharing isn’t just a tech thing though, Blatz Liquor has numerous free wine and beer tasting session that keep old customers coming back, bring in new customers, challenge customers to try new things and ultimately make for blockbuster sales numbers.

Communication

Not just emails!  Let me say it again, get past the newsletters!  Yes, they have their place but, they quickly get viewed as spam and ignored.  Especially after multiple invites/reminders.  When Joe has an event, I passively notice a Tweet, see a post on the company’s blog with more information, commit to a Facebook invite and, only sometimes, receive an email.  As communication continues to segment, companies need to be familiar with each segment and use them properly to build a loyal millennial customer base.

What makes you a loyal customer? Do have any other great examples beyond Apple and my local favorite, Blatz Liquor? Share them in the comments!