Seth Godin has popularized the notion of “attention marketing,” highlighting the increasing difficulty of getting noticed and then maintaining customer loyalty for repeat business. So how might you turn those who encounter your products or services into raving fan customers?

In an earlier post I stated that customer satisfaction is made up of a series of customer experiences—the net result of the good ones minus the bad ones. Keep their experiences greater in the positive column than in the negative and you are on your way.

But let's first be clear on your vision. You must first decide what you want. What is your ideal vision for your product or service? Ken Blanchard says that this needs to be your vision of perfection centered on the customer.

Next, discover what your customers want. Make sure that what they want is in harmony with your vision.

Third, deliver plus! That means, deliver on your vision but then go the extra mile. Delight your customers and maybe even surprise them! It doesn’t have to be much, but an extra little touch can go a long way. For example, if you're a custom kitchen cabinet maker—what if you sent your customers elegantly crafted cutting boards several months after installation? How might that impact your brand and increase attention in the market place?

In closing, here’s a slogan I suggest you adopt for your company to create raving fan, gung-ho customers: UNDER PROMISE, OVER DELIVER, EVERY TIME! What might that look like for you? How might you under promise, over deliver, every time? It might be as simple as telling a customer that you'll ship their product before the first of next month and then calling them to say: “We’re shipping it to you early, plus I found an additional 10% discount I can apply to this order.” [What has worked for you? Share them with me here.]