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Do you love your customers?  Seriously.  Do you?

I know “love” is a strong word, and it even feels weird for me to type it out in this context, but what would happen if we did?

I heard a surprising story that took place in a Psych ward at a hospital.

A Psychologist’s Surprising Cure for His Patient’s Illnesses

Years ago, Dr. Karl Menninger, who at the time was a renowned doctor and psychologist at a psychiatric hospital, had a unique idea about the cause of the illnesses and problems that his patients had.

He believed that there problems stemmed from a lack of a sense of love in their lives.

With this idea on his mind, one day he called in his clinical staff and told them his plan for creating an atmosphere of creative love in his clinic.

His plan consisted of the following:

• He told his staff that they needed to make sure that ALL of their patients were to be given large quantities of love.
• They were not allowed to show any unloving attitudes when they were in the presence of their patients.
• All of his nurses and doctors were to go about their work throughout the day, dealing with patients, etc. but they needed to make sure that they did it all with a loving attitude.

This was all so the environment that his patients experienced was one of love.

Guess what happened?

At the end of six months of implementing this plan, the time that they needed to spend with their patients (based on the patient’s need) was cut in half!

I don’t know what you actually sell to your customer or what benefits it fulfills for them, but I can tell you one thing. Your customers need your love.

You think I am exaggerating?

Ok. If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe this marketing guru…

The Strategy of Preeminence

Business strategist and marketing guru, Jay Abraham talks about a key, fundamental mindset and attitude that he uses, which he calls “The Strategy of Preeminence“.

What is it?

It’s the mindset of constantly putting your client’s needs ahead of your own.   It means that you always do what is in their best interest.  (*You can listen/watch Jay talk about this here.)

It means that you want to make their lives better through your product or service – OR any other product or service that’s best for them (even someone else’s).

Isn’t that the same mindset you have when you love someone?

That means that you need to love your customers and you need to communicate your love, through your words and tone. That way they know that you really care about help them.

But love isn’t just words that are communicated.  Love is shown through actions!

How does this actually work in real life?

I am glad you asked!

The next example will show you how anyone can do this – even a taxi driver!

A Taxi Driver Who Loved His Customers

Jay Baer, Social media strategy consultant, speaker & author, gives a great example of what I am talking about in a post called “2 Simple But Brilliant Content Marketing Examples from the Great White North.“

It’s a cool story about a taxi driver named Mike.

What’s so unique about Mike? He’s a taxi driver that produces an online/offline guide of local “hot spots”.  He tells about the best restaurants, clubs, happy hours, etc.

It helps tourists find great spots AND helps local businesses by promoting them for free.  (Check Jay’s post or his book Youtility for the full story.)

The “golden rule” says that we should, “Do to others what we’d want them to do to us.”  In other words, we should treat people how we want to be treated. 

That’s what you do to show someone love!

And Taxi driver Mike is living out the golden rule – showing his care for others through his actions.

• And guess what taxi driver local businesses are going to promote?
• Guess who tourists are going to ask for first?

That’s right.  It’s Mike.

Why?  Because we naturally have positive feelings towards someone who cares about us.

When you not only communicate your love to your customers, but show your love to them through your actions, then something amazing will happen.

They’ll love you back!  And that will change everything.

• It will change how they respond to your words. 
• It will change how they feel about you.
• It will change how they act towards you.

And another surprising result will happen: it will change YOU.

“Love cures people – both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.” – Karl A. Menninger

Your Plan to Begin Loving Your Customers

Do you want to try this out in your own business? Great. Then just have your team begin to implement Dr. Menninger’s plan:

• Tell your staff that they need to make sure that ALL of your prospects and customers are given large quantities of love.
• Your staff is not allowed to show any unloving attitudes when they were in the presence of your prospects and customers.
• All of your staff is to go about their normal work throughout the day, dealing with prospects, customers, etc. but they need to make sure that do it all with a loving attitude.

If you are going to try this, then comment below and let me know!

And make sure to come back in six months and let us know your results!

Source: I’ve seen the Dr. Menniger story in multiple places, so I am not sure of where it originated. But you can find it in the book (No More) Mediocre Me: How Saying No to the Status Quo Will Propel You From Ordinary to Extraordinary by John E. Michel.

“Love” image from Steve Snodgrass