A whopping 91% of consumers agree that many loyalty programs feel similar and are not that differentiated from other programs. We are drowning in the sea of sameness. You spend $1 and you get a point. Then you redeem that point for discounts on your next purchase. Rinse and repeat. It’s no wonder that we are seeing ho-hum results and engagement.

How do you make your loyalty program stand out? How do you connect with customers on an emotional level? How do you build attachment, alignment, and dare I say it, emotional loyalty?

In my review of best-in-class programs worldwide, the programs that stand out are the ones that lean into its values and bring out what the brand and the company stand for in the loyalty program mechanics. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria within the design of loyalty program rewards and incentives promote sustainable and responsible behavior among customers and align the company together with its members toward a common good.

[Related: Losing Customers Due to Lack of Relevance?]

Research supports this approach:

• 63% of respondents agree they are more likely to do business with brands/ companies whose purpose aligns with their values.
• When the brand purpose aligns with customer values, consumers are:
• 4× as likely to recommend your brand.
• 8× as likely to go out of their way to do business with your brand.
• 9× as likely to spend more with your brand.

REI Co-Op Membership does a particularly amazing job at aligning its values with its program by selling and buying used gear and pledging $5 off each membership toward the REI Action Fund.

How would you incorporate ESG initiatives into your program?

The first and most important step is to align the program with the cause that is important to the brand and the company overall. A loyalty program is always a part of and supports the overall strategy. It is one of the marketing toolkits and the more closely aligned it is with brand expectations, the better the customer satisfaction and business outcomes will be.

[Related: Change or Get Out of the Way]

Next, here are some examples of how you can bring ESG loyalty initiatives to life:

• Offer rewards for eco-friendly actions, such as recycling, reducing energy consumption, or using public transportation, encouraging customers to adopt more sustainable habits.
• Collaborate with environmentally conscious partners and suppliers to offer exclusive rewards and benefits to customers who choose sustainable products or services.
• Allocate a portion of the loyalty program’s revenue or points to support environmental initiatives or social causes, such as reforestation projects, clean water initiatives, or local community development programs.
• Provide customers with the option to donate their loyalty program points to charitable organizations aligned with ESG principles, fostering a sense of social responsibility and collective impact.
• Offer personalized recommendations and rewards based on customers’ preferences for ethically sourced or socially responsible products, thereby promoting conscious consumerism.
• Establish transparent communication channels to educate customers about the ESG initiatives the loyalty program supports, including progress updates, impact reports, and success stories, fostering trust and engagement.
• Collaborate with local communities and NGOs to organize volunteer activities and give customers the opportunity to participate, earning additional loyalty program benefits while contributing to social or environmental causes.
• Implement ESG performance metrics and targets within the loyalty program to track and measure the impact of sustainable behaviors and initiatives, enabling continuous improvement and accountability.
• Establish partnerships with ESG rating agencies or organizations to obtain third-party verification or certification of the loyalty program’s adherence to ESG principles, enhancing credibility and attracting socially conscious customers.

[Related: Why Welcome Journeys are Like Sleep Training]

—

Lia Grim​berg is Principal and Consultant for Radicle Loyalty.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on October 11, 2023.

I have lived through so many hurricanes, I’ve lost count.

My guess is that you have too, though it seems to me that these harsh storms are rarely shared. And to me, that means the process of releasing, healing, and then unleashing our own potential gets stymied. My point of view on life and leadership is that we have to acknowledge these storms and walk the path of healing from them, so we can bask in the light and welcome others to truly shine theirs.

Rejection broke my heart.

I’m left with the pain, after the hurricane. -Jazmine Sullivan

Hurricane: At my youthful prime, going out to the club with my friends wasn’t joy-filled, even though I loved to dance. While we stood at the bar, before hitting the floor, some guy would come up and use me to get to my friend who was (according to my inner critic) far prettier than I.

Hurricane: When I was a teenager, my feelings would bubble, as is rather normal. But on occasion, my outbursts would be met with the silent treatment from a close family member. Weeks would go by where I would be ignored in my own home, and my nervous system bugged out. I had to break the cycle for my own sanity — and at the time, I didn’t know how to name what was happening.

Hurricane: Upon starting a new job in a new industry, I was given advice to “fake it till you make it” and stop asking questions. In other words — don’t be me, but be more like my boss — who would rather nod her head in staunch agreement, than admit she didn’t know what she was doing.

Hurricane: By the time my grandma was at the end of her life, unhealed trauma among the family led to disfunction and disintegration of extended family connections. So much so that my immediate family found out my grandma passed away TEN DAYS after the fact — even though she was in the care of my aunt — and there was no funeral to celebrate or honor her life.

Life on multiple fronts left me with a hurricane of emotions. The hurricanes spun and spun, often as slow-moving fronts that seemed to linger, and not far behind it, was yet another one. These hurricanes involved a whole lot of negative self-talk, frustration, disappointment, sadness, and willing my tears to hide back into the ducts from which they came.

[Related: The Mountains We Climb]

Stormy weather.

I share these weather patterns with you, because it’s important we acknowledge what it is we’re carrying with us, so we can learn how to keep the past from hijacking our present. I share to also show you that whatever storms you have weathered, it’s possible to walk a path that finds you on the sunny side of the street WAY more often.

Being able to find sunshine and levity in the eye of the storm? That’s what I call tenacity.

Knowing that when the whole thing blows over, you can put your face toward the sun and appreciate the calm? That’s what I call hope.

When it comes to the career arena, rejection comes in so many forms; not getting the promotion, not getting the interview, not landing the client, not being asked to present your own work, not being invited to the dinner. And for me — the career arena felt like my best chance at finding acceptance and validation, which meant that for years I put the vast majority of my energy in this part of my life. But I experienced so many storms there too.

Because at the end of the day, they key question in all of my storms came down to this.

Do I matter?

This abandonment wound permeates every part of my life, and it’s something I’ve worked on day in and day out for as long as I can remember. I’ve come to learn this is a wound that so many carry. And it doesn’t have to mean you grew up without a parent physically in the house, or that you lost a loved one suddenly. It can come from tiny cuts and bruises that happen on a regular basis — also known as “small t” trauma.

For well over 30 years of my life, I was going out into the rain without any protection, or tools to combat the elements. I felt triggered just about every day and didn’t know how to process my feelings. I had no idea how to actually shift my narrative and see the truth that was buried under all of my conditioning, hurt and trauma. For years, I was getting beaten and battered by the harsh winds coming both internally and externally.

Finally, I picked up a rain hat, rubber boots, and a jacket and eventually hopped in the car and drove right on through. So much of this had to do with awareness and exposure — because I just didn’t have the tools. It’s such a big part of why I do the work that I do, because I want others to learn how to move and sway, in the storms of life.

But this doesn’t mean the hurricanes don’t keep coming.

[Related: The Upside of Trauma (Yes, It’s Possible)]

Level 5.

A pretty big storm came through in my recent past. This one wasn’t your Level 1 storm, where you can still count on water and toilet paper to be well stocked at your local grocery store despite the extra foot traffic. No ma’am.

It was the type of hurricane that put me into true PTSD — which was completely unexpected and something I had never experienced.

My abandonment wound was triggered to the point that my body got into serious flight or fight mode. My brain was not functioning fully, and my body was literally emptying my insides, ready for the fight of my life.

You see, someone that I trusted deeply and knew for over fifteen years of my life acted in such a way that every cell of my body wondered — does it matter that I’m here? Am I safe? It didn’t matter if my brain was trying to be rational and tell me to chill out. My body took over as if I was being attacked by a tiger (cue Waking the Tiger — an incredible book about somatic healing).

But let me tell you what was different about this hurricane:

I didn’t abandon myself.

I didn’t brush it off or “make it okay.” I didn’t make excuses for my friend, and I didn’t go against what my body was telling me what to do — which was to physically remove myself from the situation. I used my tools to not get completely swept away in the swirling debris.

I leaned in on my community, trusted friends, and husband.

I leaned in on my gratitude and journaling practices.

I leaned in on my growing faith that I was supported by much greater forces.

I leaned in on the power of spending time in nature.

And I leaned in on finding the sun, even in the middle of the storm.

I used my power to give myself what I needed.

I was knocked down, but I wasn’t staying down for NOBODY.

At the time this happened, I was far from home. But I didn’t get on a plane to leave — I chose to create a new agenda, which meant I gave myself permission to do whatever I needed to take care of me. To quote Jay Z’s grandmother on the Lemonade album:

I was served lemons, but I made lemonade.

If I’m honest with myself, I saw this storm coming. I even named it with this friend because I felt emotions bubbling. But what was meant to be happened FOR my greatest good. Though I’m not gonna front — this storm lingered for a long while. Processing it took time. Accepting the truth of who my friend was capable of being at that moment was a journey. Finding forgiveness, letting go, grieving, and honoring my lessons had its own roller coaster ride.

But now I am grateful. Grateful for the lessons from that storm, and the breakdown that came with it. Because as it always does; the breakdown is what led to the breakthrough. And the breakthrough led to an elevated version of myself.

Now I’m looking in the mirror like DAMN. How badass am I? All the hurricanes I faced gave me the strength to handle this one. And the choices I made to get the tools I needed, massively paid out.

This speaks to a concept used in coaching; when you’re facing something new, or a challenge that feels unsurmountable, the key is to remember you’ve done difficult things before. So I ask you — whatever you are currently caught up in — when have you faced strong headwinds in the past? What hat and jacket did you use to get through it then?

What’s Nike got to do with all of this? Let me shift gears into pure JOY and synchronicity!

The Nike connection.

Not long ago, I met an incredible woman, Whitney, who has so many talented gifts. One of these gifts is that she literally TRANSFORMS sneakers. And when I say transform, I mean the original version is just unrecognizable!

She takes NEXT LEVEL to the NEXT LEVEL.

There was something that pierced my heart when I saw what she did with broken down sneakers and revived them into something completely vibrant, with a story to tell. I literally said to her:

My new goal in life is to afford one of your custom creations!

And don’t you know through her generous spirit, and bright light she said — I got you girl! And well, momma didn’t raise no fool! So I gave her a pair of Nike wedges that were actually gifted to me over a decade ago. The shoes were dope, but I knew they had so much more potential.

When I saw what she did with these sneakers I was speechless. And when I saw what inspired her… well I knew it was meant to be. And go figure…it is actually hurricane season at the moment.

For more on Whitney House and to see the original “before pictures,” follower her on Instagram: @thecreativeera, @kicksbytce, and her You Tube Channel.

Badass on the move.

So let me give you some advice, my friends. When the hurricanes come, take every tool you got to stay on the ground, and don’t EVER forget that you can find the sunshine. And not just AFTER the storm, but in the midst of it.

Lace up those pretty little shoes (or whatever it is that makes your heart happy), walk tall, and stand proud! Because whatever you’re going through — it’s gonna lead you to your breakthrough. Just don’t forget to grab your boots and hat as you make to the other side — it sure makes the journey a hell of a lot easier AND more likely that this lesson won’t have to come around again.

Endnote: resiliency.

At the core of building resilient teams is giving your people the tools to handle the storms — not just the external ones, but the internal ones as well. This is fundamentally about tending to mental health and emotional wellbeing. The leadership coaching and culture transformation work I do is at this deepest level — whether we are addressing inner critics (narratives), redefining success (ie. what will authentically motivate), or addressing unresolved history (ie. broken trust).

I don’t apply band-aids, I help heal the wounds.

[Related: 10 Things I Learned from Sheryl Sandberg’s New Class About Resiliency]

—

Tosca DiMatteo supports businesses to create people-centric cultures and individuals to experience transformational change to live their truth unapologetically. For details, email her at breakthrough@toscadimatteo.com to get started or schedule an exploratory call here.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on October 11, 2023.

Are your networking skills feeling a bit rusty? You’re not alone.

Since the pandemic, many of us are feeling out of practice on in-person networking. Ellevate Toronto takes the stress out of networking with our 5 Cs. Follow them to make the most of any opportunity to expand your network.

1) Curiosity.

Listening is a critical part of networking, and it’s important to approach conversations with authenticity and a genuine interest to learn about others. What was the last event they attended? What’s their favourite part of their job? What do they do outside of work? Curiosity is critical to getting to know new people and finding common ground and points of connection. The trick is simply getting the ball rolling and having a few probing questions up your sleeve. Curiosity will take care of the rest.

[Related: Can You Hear Me Now? Active Listening 101]

2) Confidence.

You know the drill: Networking starts by telling others about yourself, clearly and concisely. Some people do this with natural confidence, and for the rest of us it can take practice. Particularly after the decline of in-person networking over the last few years, it’s easy to feel a little rusty. Grab a friend or turn to that friendly face in the mirror and practice your pitch. Before you know it, you’ll be confidently making a lasting impression, effortlessly.

3) Cards (and QRs!)

Do you still have business cards? If so, be sure to bring a pocket full, and pass them out to people you meet. There’s nothing like leaving a networking event with a fistful of tangible new connections. And if you’re traveling lighter these days, it’s never been simpler to make a LinkedIn connection on the spot through your very own QR code. Try it out in advance and show up ready to make those new connections stick with ease.

[Related: Creating Space for Connection]

4) Catch-up.

Once you’ve made new connections, it’s important to foster them. Whether you’ve exchanged email addresses or connected via LinkedIn, pop your new connections a note to continue the conversation. Not sure what to chat about? Share an article you enjoyed, or share a follow up from your discussion. Even a note to say ‘Great meeting you, hope to see you at the next event!’ leaves an impression and creates opportunity to connect again.

5) Connect (the dots!)

The best part of a powerful personal network is sharing it with others. We’re always challenging ourselves and others to make meaningful connections that help others learn and grow. When you meet someone new, consider if there’s anyone in your existing network they might benefit from connecting with. This type of proactive networking is particularly powerful to help women grow and foster meaningful and supportive networks of professional women.

What’s your favorite networking tip? Please share it in the comments below 👇

[Related: Go Ahead, Be Ambitious!]

—

Miranda Steele is the Co-President of Ellevate Toronto.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on September 13, 2023.

The benefit of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking shape with the aim of improving the lives of every person on the planet. In the world-of-work, AI is empowering users in every industry to increase sales, efficiency, and productivity. While there are clear business wins in doing and achieving more, the relentless focus on more is wreaking havoc on people and workplace cultures. Burnout, exhaustion, and overwhelm of workers is exacerbating depression, anxiety, and stress that leads to debilitating health and a revolving door of talent. This is not a sound business case for success, nor is it the right way to treat people.

I was featured on the HR Works podcast hosted by Josh Zygmont of SimplifyMedia to discuss Achievement Intelligence and what it means in practice. Listen here.

Achievement Intelligence is a new layer we must consider with AI to honor the humans doing the work optimized by technology.

[Related: The Skills You Need to Succeed in 2020 and Beyond]

Imagine a world-of-work where:

• Organizations focused on the highest quality of work instead of the highest quantity with mediocre outcomes — less can be more.
• Sustainable cultures of wellbeing were celebrated and recruiting and retaining top talent was not a constant struggle.
• We shifted the goal mindset to celebrate achievements, and were not always raising the bar to an unreachable level at the expense of worker wellbeing.
• The busy brag and burning the candle at both ends were not applauded to feed work addiction (the only addiction we celebrate) to create healthy and vibrant work cultures.
• We focused on living a life of vitality instead of constantly trying to mitigate burnout.

Many organizations are desperately trying to mitigate the burnout of their workforce, but they are addressing the wrong issue. It’s time to take a preventive approach and focus on living a life of vitality instead of only trying to address burnout.

[Related: How Innovation Starts with an Honest and Open Dialogue with Yourself]

Start by asking your people what they need. So many companies make top-down decisions without asking employees what they need to do their best work. Culture is not an HR project — it should be an all-play in an organization. This is a great time to reboot and focus on how to design cultures with the people in your organization that support flexibility, wellness at work, and psychological safety.

Success should be a shared vision, so each player understands their WHY and purpose in the organization, which leads to engagement and strong outcomes.

AI is here to stay, and it will grow. Let’s celebrate it as a tool to make life better. We must keep evolving — we are works in progress. We must help humans optimize AI without allowing it to overwhelm and impede outcomes and destroy wellbeing. Tap into the better angels of our nature and celebrate AI with the guard rails of Achievement Intelligence.

[Related: What You Need Now: Making the Digital Leap in Response to COVID-19 and Beyond]

—

Caroline Dowd-Higgins is passionate about unlocking the art-of-the-possible in her work with individuals and organizations as a certified executive coach, a best-selling author, a dynamic speaker, and sought-after consultant. Her new best-selling book, “Your Career Advantage: Overcome Challenges to Achieve a Rewarding Work Life,” is empowering people to enjoy their careers and love their lives. Caroline hosts the award winning podcast Your Working Life with listeners in 16 countries. Her celebrated TEDxWOMEN talk about reframing failure is available on YouTube. Follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on September 13, 2023.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions, such as ChatGPT and Bard from Google, have democratized the world’s access to AI, both from a consumer and a brand standpoint. Enterprise-level Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions providers are seamlessly connecting the dots between data, MarTech, and customer interactions. As such, we marketers and loyalty program operators have no excuse but to leverage our proprietary data, such as transactions, customer contact data, and online behavior, to personalize customer experiences.

Here are some examples of how Generative AI can help us make our loyalty programs more effective.

1) Personalized rewards and offers based on individual customer preferences and behavior patterns.

Using AI algorithms, a loyalty program can generate tailored discounts, exclusive rewards, or personalized recommendations for each customer, increasing their sense of value and appreciation.

[Related: What You Need Now: Making the Digital Leap in Response to COVID-19 and Beyond]

2) Interactive and immersive experiences for loyalty program members.

By leveraging AI-generated virtual or augmented reality scenarios, loyalty programs can offer customers virtual shopping experiences, exclusive events, or personalized gamified interactions, enhancing engagement and fostering stronger emotional connections.

[Related: Ambition and Happiness: Having Both at the Same Time]

3) Differentiate the loyalty program and capture customer attention.

By leveraging AI-generated content, loyalty programs can offer unique and captivating experiences that stand out from competitors, driving higher customer satisfaction, retention rates, and brand loyalty.

[Related: Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Touch]

—

Lia Grimberg is Principal and Consultant for Radicle Loyalty.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on August 9, 2023.

As we are continuing to navigate uncertainty in the economy, we hear again and again about mass layoffs in companies, big or small. And when you read on the news that even mental companies lay off their staff, you inevitably begin to worry that you are next.

When that happens, you likely start grabbing every opportunity, every task to prove that you are a valuable resource. You overload yourself with work just to prove that you are capable and productive. And in this race, it is very easy to lose yourself — lose what makes you YOU.

But please, hear me out — today, more than ever, you need to bring more of YOU to the table.

As a corporate executive and a service provider myself, I see both inside my company, as well as with my corporate clients, WHAT makes a person who will never (or very unlikely) be laid off. On the other hand, as the life design coach and mentor, I conduct daily conversations with professional women who are navigating these unprecedented times.

And today, I want to share with you three proven strategies that can help you to not only minimize the risk of being laid off, but to actually strengthen your position as a professional. Because the truth is, when the time comes to cut the costs, the companies don’t retain those who simply execute on tasks — they retain those who create IMPACT.

But what does that really mean? Let’s find out.

Strategy #1: Bring your vision to the table.

Literally. What is your vision: for your company, for your department, for your team, for yourself?

It is time to raise your voice and to make sure it is heard. Because in times of uncertainty, leaders of the companies more than ever need fresh perspectives, new ideas, and innovative approaches.

But first, you need to have that vision.

So, start by setting long-term goals:

• Where do I want to be in five years from now?
• What does reality look like for me when I get there?
• Which of my core values is it aligned with?
• Why is it important to get there?

Then, move onto mid-term goals:

• Where do I need to be in one year from now to be way on track for my five-year vision?
• What/who can help me get there?
• What are the possible obstacles and how can I overcome them?

And finally, make it actionable:

• What are my short-term goals?
• How are they connected with my mid-term goals?
• What are the first three action items that I can take TODAY to start building momentum?

[Related: Five Rs Essential to Transform Your Business in an Uncertain Economy]

Strategy #2: Deep engagement creates excellent results.

What is the first thing we do when we get overloaded with work? Exactly, we start multitasking. As a result, and because we have to constantly switch focus between several tasks, we likely produce mediocre results.

Now, because these results are not worth being proud of, we disengage and begin to work on autopilot. We continue to multitask, and this cycle starts again.

Now is the time to break this cycle.

Pick one important task and give it your full and undivided attention. Engage with this task on a deeper level and create results that you will be genuinely proud of. It is a win-win situation. On one hand, the results of your work will be highly appreciated by the leaders of your company and your teammates. And, on the other hand (and this is even more important), you will feel accomplished and satisfied at the end of the day.

Which, in its turn, will motivate you to produce even better results tomorrow.

[Related: How the Future Works]

Strategy #3: Capitalize on your strengths.

Are you a great team player that can easily unite the team around the common goal? Are you able to find the right words to explain complicated things the way that will resonate in people’s hearts? Do you bravely take the leap and make hard decisions fast when others hesitate? Are you capable of finding creative solutions and innovative ways to solve problems?

Teamwork, honesty, courage, creativity — these are all personal strengths that you already have. Some of them you use more than others, and today is the day to bring all of them forward and to fully capitalize on them.

How well do you know your strengths? There is a quick way to find out.

Before you go to bed, ask yourself the following questions, and write down the answers:

• What went well today? (Be sure to come up with at least one item!)
• Which of my strengths have contributed to this success?
• How exactly did I use my strengths today?

When practiced daily, this exercise will help you uncover your top strengths so you can apply them in various areas of your life, both personal and professional. And not just that, but it is an efficient way to build confidence.

Because confidence, by definition, is us recognizing and appreciating our strengths. And having confidence is your BEST layoff-proof strategy!

[Related: How to Turn a Skills Deficiency into Project Management Proficiency]

-

Olena Mytruk is the life design coach and mentor for entrepreneurial and professional women. She is on a mission to help busy women thrive in life, career and business. Olena has been named as one of the Top 30 Inspirational Women In Tech, she is the host of The Spark Your Life Podcast and speaker at the Yellow Conference 2023. Sign up for Olena’s FREE 3-week Life Design 101 Bootcamp and learn how to 10X your life, both personal and professional.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on August 9, 2023.

There are many reasons why loyalty programs fail to drive profitability, desired customer behavior, member satisfaction, or engagement.

Not every company needs a loyalty program to drive customer loyalty. Loyalty is an outcome, not a program. There are many mechanisms your organization could use instead. However, if you launch a loyalty program without truly understanding the reasons behind having the program or the commitment it takes, neither you nor your members will benefit from the program.

Here are the reasons why your organization needs a loyalty program.

1) You can afford the investment.

After the cost of goods sold, a loyalty program will likely be your second-highest expense in the business. You should forecast your base program to cost around 1–5% of sales among your members, plus the rest of the benefits and promotional costs. Of course, vendors and partners can also offset and subsidize the cost of this investment. Having an underfunded program will not allow you to be competitive in the marketplace, leaving your members disappointed.

[Related: Five Simple Business Strategies that Work Best for Startups]

2) You need the customer data.

If you run a pure-play e-commerce business, all your customer/brand interactions have been captured in one place and you likely have a single view of the customer. However, for hybrid businesses, your customer data may sit in siloes, disconnecting the customer interactions online vs. those in-store. In the latter case, a loyalty number will be an elegant solution to create a 360-degree view of all customer experiences with your brand, regardless of the channel.

[Related: Attention Retailers: Unleash the Power of Your Data]

3) The c-suite is aligned on the KPIs and the role of loyalty.

Lack of c-suite alignment is one of the leading causes of loyalty program failure. All departments, their heads, the c-suite, vendors, and partners should be clear, assign priority to, and be aligned on:

• What metrics the program should drive?
• What customer behavior do we need to move?
• What role does the program play (e.g., it needs to be independently profitable)?
• How does the program fit into our marketing, investment, operational plan, and every member interaction?

You have operational support throughout the organization. Loyalty programs live and die on the front lines. Your front-line associates are your brand ambassadors that need to be members, advocates, and teachers of the program to help your members understand it and get the most out of it.

You want to engage your existing customers. Your loyalty program is not a means to acquire new customers. It serves to reward, benefit, and engage existing customers to shop more with your brand.

Your company should start designing a loyalty program if, and only if, you can answer “yes” to every question above. Only then, if you design a program that is differentiated, appealing, and profitable, does it stand a chance to succeed.

[Related: More Than a Good Surprise: The Magic of Serendipity Enhances Consumer Satisfaction]

—

Lia Grimberg is Principal and Consultant for Radicle Loyalty.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on August 9, 2023.

Ask any small business owner if they went into business to become an armchair marketer. Marketing requires that you know where to connect with your customers or how to expand your business. Finding and understanding your audience is where many small businesses hit a stumbling block. Regardless of your business segment, it’s critically important to understand who your business serves. Determining your audience helps to find the right fit and prevents wasted spending on ads or misaligned social media campaigns.

The first step in finding your audience is to understand who is most likely to purchase your product or service. Don’t confuse a target market with a target audience. A target market encompasses anyone that might purchase your product. A target audience is a smaller group within your target market that is defined by specific demographics and behavior. The target audience is your intended reach for marketing.

[Related: Attention Retailers: Unleash the Power of Your Data]

Finding your target audience.

Some examples of demographics that you may consider include gender, age, profession, location, income, and marital status. These are the most commonly considered details that help you to understand the different personas in your target audience. It helps to create “buyer personas” to further understand the motivations and needs of your customers. These fictional personas capture specific details of your target audience, where three to five personas should cover the most common personalities.

For example, a health and fitness center could create a few personas around the guests that buy fitness passes annually. Each fictional guest includes details from a survey of the actual members’ demographics. “Natalie” is a 30 year-old member who joined on January 1, and hasn’t set foot on the property since January 15. “Alex” is a 50 year-old early riser who is a five-year customer, and has sporadic attendance since he is always hurt. Creating specific buyer personas helps to hone communication, and to understand how to tailor your message.

It’s also helpful to understand:

• What needs or pain points your service/product solves.
• The similarity in your target audiences to competitors.
• Research around your existing customers.

When you identify the value of your product or service to your customers, it becomes easier to know where to look for new customers. Revisiting your demographics makes sure that you’re on the right track with your existing audience. Sometimes it’s just as valuable to learn who is not your target audience, and to establish a deeper understanding of your current customer base.

[Related: The Secret to Success (It Isn’t Just About the Right Idea)]

Let’s get personal.

It’s worth getting to know your audience, because personalization in marketing can improve the ROI by five to eight times on total spend, where sales have the potential to be lifted by 10% or more.

While customer data and the timing of messages is important, content is still queen. It is possible to tailor messages to your target audience. Customers have an expectation for a brand to know who they are, and even to understand what is important to them. Maximize communication in a coordinated strategy that is sustainable and high quality. Since you know the audience, the next step is establishing your online presence through the social channels chosen by your target audience.

Determining your audience is well worth the effort. Minimally, an audit of existing demographics, a deep dive into your competition, and a holistic view of problems to be solved will clarify this target audience. Once this comes into view, your trajectory as a business and customer communications will fall into place.

[Related: Social Media is No Longer Optional for the C-Suite]

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Julie Cropp Gareleck is an experienced strategist, author, and founder of Junction Creative Solutions, where she works with global and growth stage brands on developing the right strategies to grow their business. She has been recognized as an industry experience and leader, featured on NBC affiliate Atlanta & Company, as well as in notable publications as the USA Today. Find Julie empowering business owners and entrepreneurs @JulieCroppGareleck.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on August 9, 2023.

Life imitates work and work imitates life.

My four-year-old daughter has gone through a giant sleep regression. She would wake up at 1:30 am, insisting that one of her parents sleep with her. Sometimes she would fall asleep right away, and sometimes we would “party” until 4:00 am, only to wake up at 5:30 to get ready for the gym/work/school. Needless to say, we were running off our feet, tired.

After a few months of this pattern, I realized that she had unlearned the skill to self-soothe and put herself to bed, as she also relied on my husband to stay with her at bedtime until she fell asleep. This meant that her father and I had to go through another round of sleep training with her. With her buy-in, it took about a week and we sat by the door and checked on her every five minutes, eventually increasing it to longer periods.

Now, barring any illness or rogue nightmare, she sleeps through the night and we are all thankful.

There is a lesson to be learned here that can be applied to your customers.

Instead of struggling with teaching her about wake-ups, we addressed the problem at the beginning of the night. Similarly, instead of trying to retain your customers as they are about to leave you, how about we set them up for success.

[Related: Leading Teams in Our New Normal]

1) It starts with the welcome journey.

Brand new customers are the most engaged with your brand and are begging you to interact with them and to help them set their habits with your organization that will persist throughout their relationship with you. In my 20+ years of experience, I can, without a doubt, state that the most effective campaigns are onboarding campaigns, with positive ROI lasting beyond the promotional period.

And yet I am yet to see an amazing, responsive welcome journey that is more than a generic first-time offer code, educates customers about the brand and how to maximize its value, and considers customer response when determining the next steps.

[Related: Establish a Gossip-Free Workplace]

2) Engage customers throughout their lifecycle.

Make sure you are driving the right kind of incremental behavior from your customers while delivering value in exchange for their data usage with personalized recommendations, offers, and content. Determine your best and next best customers, recognize them, and delight them.

3) Use an attrition model to identify high-value at-risk customers.

Run the model regularly and test outreach treatments and offers to determine what works best with which segments to increase retention, while keeping an eye on ROI.

Specifically, concerning welcome journeys, here are the best practices:

1. Set expectations: “We will check on you every five minutes.” In the case of your business: “This will be a series of four emails that you should expect every three days featuring the following topics.”
2. Follow through on expectations: Check on them every five minutes. In the case of your business: Send the email as described.
3. Encourage progress: “You’re doing a great job. Mommy and Daddy are right outside. You are safe.” In the case of your business: “You have completed the registration step. You are well on your way.”
4. Celebrate success: We do a celebration dance in the morning. In the case of your business: Reward them for making small signs of progress along the way.

[Related: Young Women are Leaving Companies: Here’s Why and What You Can Do About It]

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Lia Grimberg is Principal and Consultant for Radicle Loyalty.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on August 9, 2023.

My grandparents were faithful Christmas Club savers at their local bank. Starting in July, they would deposit money in a special account each month, so they could have savings ready to go for the holidays. While many retailers are now having Christmas in July sales, it’s also a good time to take this halfway point in the calendar year to take stock of your career and assess how you want to make an impact over the next six months, and beyond.

Here are some “deposits” you can make over the next six months to ensure you enjoy your career and love your life.

Prioritize reflection time.

Summer is a great time to reflect and ponder about what you really want in life and career. Is your career satisfying, engaging, and allowing you to play to your strengths? Are you with an organization where there is a clear growth trajectory, and does your company honor you with professional development opportunities? Are you sacrificing your long-term career by staying in a job out of loyalty, or feeling comfortable? Are you overworking and under-remunerated? These are great questions to muse as you sit by the pool, relax in a hammock, or travel to your vacation destination.

[Related: Two Questions to Maximize Your Achievements by Year’s End]

Polish your online presence.

Today, the first thing recruiters and hiring managers do is check your LinkedIn presence. Use the summer months to get your resume/CV into shape and freshen your LinkedIn profile to ensure that you are perceived in a way that is accurate and up-to-date. Always consider your job growth or exit strategy, so you can maintain control of your career future and be ready for the unexpected right sizing, or advancement opportunity. Solicit at least three new LinkedIn recommendations from people who know your work and can showcase your value to others. With over 900 million global members, LinkedIn is an essential tool you must keep fresh to optimize it wisely.

Revisit your goals.

Whether your goals are personal, professional, or both — take the time to revisit your aspirations and create accountability check-ins to ensure you are moving forward. Most people get overwhelmed with big goals and lose momentum because they expect instant results. Be realistic and design small, incremental actions that you can accomplish and celebrate as you work towards the big goal. Tell others to make your goals public and find a trusted accountability partner to help keep you on track and give you that gentle kick when you get stuck. If you aspire to advance in the organization where you work now, tell your boss, and bring them onboard as a co-conspirator to empower your end goal.

[Related: Your Purpose Is to Follow Your Passion]

Create your professional buzz.

The summer is an ideal time to do a brand audit. How do others perceive you? Conduct an informal survey by asking people you trust to share how they perceive you, what you are known for doing well, and what blind spots may be halting your progress. If the information you gather does not align how you want to be perceived, create your fresh brand narrative, and start walking the talk with your actions and behaviors. The most important question to ask is: What do they say about me when I am not in the room? You can develop this narrative to create the buzz you want others to know about you.

Book your professional development.

Many organizations begin a new fiscal year in July, so it’s a smart time to ask for professional development that will enable you to learn new skills and develop competencies that will help you and your organization. Perhaps you have always wanted to work with a professional coach. Or, you have your eye on a certification or credential that will distinguish you in your industry. Have the conversation with your boss and ask for financial support since your professional development is an investment in you and the organization. Always consider the business case and define the return on investment of your professional development with your employer.

The lazy days of summer need not be completely lazy at all. In fact, if you want to build your life and career in meaningful ways, you can’t be lazy. This time can be essential to recharge, reignite, and refresh your emotional and physical wellness. It’s also a great time to prepare for what’s coming, so you can end the calendar year strong and design your career destiny, so it doesn’t happen by default.

[Related: August is a Time for Rest — and Work]

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Caroline Dowd-Higgins is passionate about unlocking the art-of-the-possible in her work with individuals and organizations as a certified executive coach, a best-selling author, a dynamic speaker, and sought-after consultant. Her new best-selling book, “Your Career Advantage: Overcome Challenges to Achieve a Rewarding Work Life,” is empowering people to enjoy their careers and love their lives. Caroline hosts the award winning podcast Your Working Life with listeners in 16 countries. Her celebrated TEDxWOMEN talk about reframing failure is available on YouTube. Follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com on August 9, 2023.