Episode 106: Building Enduring Customer Loyalty by Focusing on the People with Aveline Clarke
In Episode 106 of The Business Habitat podcast, Sam is joined by Aveline Clarke, Customer Journey and Marketing Growth Architect, Founder of Journey Point and host of the 6 Star Business Podcast. Together they talk about the importance of building customer loyalty through alignment of values and authentic communication.
With a background in marketing and human resources, Aveline realised there was a gap in the customer process, with businesses more focussed on lead generation and conversion without truly understanding who their customers are. Initially managing the Executive Resource function for Australia Post before moving onto roll out a best practice onboarding change management process at National Australia Bank, Aveline honed her people skills and developed her passion for employee and customer engagement.
In this conversation, Aveline and Sam consider the importance of aligning your customers to your goals and values and deciding who it is you want to work with. So often in the corporate world it is encouraged to portray a professional image which is often disconnected to real people. Aveline notes that businesses forget about themselves and fail to take into account what it is they stand for and what they are ultimately trying to achieve beyond the bottom line.
With the shared vision of aligning themselves with purpose-driven businesses, Sam and Aveline discuss the proposition that enterprises flourish and build customer loyalty when stakeholders are unafraid to share their true authentic selves. Tune into this episode for a deeper analysis and more thought-provoking conversation around the importance of heart-centered business.
Listen to an excerpt
What we cover in this episode
Aveline’s own journey
The problem with digital marketing
Technology and marketing
The uniqueness of you
Aligning your customers to your goals and values
Identifying who you want to be working with
The real determinant of a toxic environment
Aveline’s tips for thinking about the client journey
Quotes
“I did know that I cared about people and I was always fascinated by experiences and how people reacted to other people and their journeys“ - Aveline
“All of those things - technology, online platforms, using emails and newsletters - they are all important but what you’re asking me is, how do you make it about the customer, how do you bring it in so that the customer doesn’t feel like they’re a number just being sprayed upon, and not being made to feel like a human” - Aveline
“You get people spending a $100,000 on marketing and you go ‘well, where’s the return?’ So you do need a return on investment but if you’re sitting at the P&L at the end of the year and you look back…and you’re income hasn’t changed by a million, don’t keep spending the money.“ - Sam
“What I’ve seen is missing in the last fourteen years, is when a business goes to market, and talks about their product or service, they forget the importance of themselves and yet that is how you differentiate yourself.“ - Aveline
“What you’re saying there is the customer journey really starts with understanding who they are journeying with.“ - Sam