This month I focus on things you can do to make your customers and prospective customers feel welcome and excited when they first start interacting with your organization. When brainstorming things your company can do, don’t overlook the obvious. For example, is your telephone answered by a human being, with a warm and welcoming voice? Are email inquires responded to promptly? Are customers greeted with a smile and “hello” when they walk in your door?

Remember, “marketing” is not limited to websites and brochures. In the big picture, it encompasses all of the interactions that your customers and prospects have with your brand.

Many businesses get so focused on the obvious “touch points” in the sales and marketing process (such as their website, marketing materials and sales meetings) that they lose sight of other important aspects of their potential customers’ experience. For example, what does your company do to welcome people to your brand? Do you put out an inviting “welcome mat,” or do you make prospects wonder why they bothered to call?

Help Customers Anticipate a Great Experience

Ideally your marketing materials will make an emotional connection with the reader, show your prospects how your product or service will improve their lives, and motivate them to take action. But once they take action, then what? I recommend you give some thought to creating a purposeful beginning to your customers’ interaction with your brand, to help them anticipate the positive experience that your organization offers.

How Other Organizations Welcome their Customers

To help you start thinking about what you can do to “put out the welcome mat,” here are some examples of what others are doing:

• Fine Dining: Ambiance is often key at restaurants. White table clothes, fresh flowers, beautifully worded menus and other details all set the tone when customers first arrive.
  
  
• Churches: Why wait until people step in the door to give them a warm greeting? Many religious organizations now have greeters in the parking lot, to make people feel welcome from the moment they arrive.
  
  
• Pet Stores: Some pet stores encourage customers to bring their furry companions shopping with them, welcoming these special guests with fresh water and treats.
  
  
• Home Builders: The sales offices at model homes – with their maps, pictures and homey decor – help set the mood before your tour even begins.

What are you doing to welcome your customers to your brand? The possibilities are endless.