Big companies are all about their Net Promoter Scores- executives clamour to look at their “NPS” each month, bonuses depend on it, analysts talk about what a company’s NPS is and what it should be. And although anything that has an acronym sounds officious, the NPS is a good concept for small businesses too.
The premise is simple: to get new customers and also to keep the ones you have, it’s not enough to just have happy customers, you need to have RAVING FANS. And according to the NPS concept, a raving fan is a person who will go out of his or her way and stand on the rooftops and tell everyone:
GO TO PRAIRIE GIRL BAKERY! THEIR CUPCAKES ARE GREAT! GO NOW!
Or words to that effect. Maybe the rooftop is not necessary although I like that twist.
But seriously the NPS theory is that truly loyal customers are the ones proactively out there talking up your business and this level of loyalty is based on one simple and direct question:
How likely are you to recommend our company/product/service to your friends and colleagues?
Full stop, yes or no, will you refer this business to others?
Like everyone, I have had this type of loyal response to businesses and especially since I became an entrepreneur, both Andrew and I really try to talk up businesses we like. Recently we received a gift card to Richmond Station, a hot, fairly new restaurant here opened by Carl Heinrich of Top Chef Canada fame and our two meals there were so exceptional we have been telling everyone we know. Andrew had the same starter and entree both times and is unlikely to change until they change the menu which happens often to suit what’s in season.
Another personal example is my recent experience with Laura Hart of live beautiful. Laura is a wardrobe stylist – which might sound fancy but if, like me, you have trouble ditching dated clothes and struggle with what-goes-with-what, getting professional help is well worth it! Especially from Laura who is warm and friendly, makes the process fun and easy, and has a really good eye for things like assembling whole outfits and making “Spring 2014” look good on a real person. Oh and her packages are reasonably priced too.
So there are two examples of raving fanhood. If Richmond Station or Laura Hart had NPS scores, I would answer their survey question,
“YES!”
(And here they are so you don’t miss out!)
http://www.livebeautiful.co/beauty-wardrobe-consultation/
