Make Your Brand Irreplaceable, Not Just Liked

What’s the current goal of your business?

Maximize shareholder value? Optimize the funnel? Extract the greatest lifetime value?

Business often feels like a constant race to gain more from customers. To drain their resources so the business can prosper.

So, it shouldn’t be any surprise that businesses struggle to build trust.

But brands that customers stick with do things differently. They adhere to a principle that is the hallmark of all great relationships.

Don’t seek to gain more than you give.

It sounds almost too simple, doesn't it??

Yet, in a crowded market where businesses see customers as numbers, it can stand out.

It’s one of the quickest ways to create genuine trust.

This isn’t about philanthropy. It’s about smart, sustainable business. It’s about how customers perceive value.

It doesn't start with what you want from them. It doesn’t even start with what they say they want from you.

It starts with obsessing over what makes their lives better.

The Foundation: A Fair Exchange of Value

At its core, good business is about creating an exchange.

The customer thinks the $10, $100, or $10,000 they spend holds more value for them than the effort it took to earn it.

And you, the business, perceive that revenue is worth more than your cost to produce and deliver your product.

It’s a win-win situation. Both sides should feel as if they are gaining more from it.

The main benchmark for your product or service is customer belief. They should think your solution improves their lives more than other ways to spend their money.

And “improves” doesn’t necessarily mean some groundbreaking innovation. It can be as simple as a unique sauce that makes your sandwiches taste remarkably different from any competitor’s, consistently delivering that extra bit of delight.

If not, you leave the door open for someone else to gain their trust and budget before you do.

The Common Disconnect: Dazzle, Deal, Disappear

So many businesses get the pre-sale dance right.

They:

• Show that they understand the problems.

• Prove that they can deliver outcomes.

• Master buyer psychology.

• Capture attention with skill.

• Answer every objection.

• Offer guarantees.

Then, as soon as the transaction is complete, they vanish.

The company leaves customers on their own. They struggle to make the most of their purchase. And they have to look to other sources.

The end result is that they are spending time with websites and people who aren’t you.

And they form a bond with someone or something that aids them, instead of your brand.

This mistake often gets worse due to a common blind spot. Many businesses think their brand is more valuable to customers than it really is.

You live and breathe your brand daily. Your customer doesn’t. So, if post-sale support and value reinforcement are missing, enthusiasm can fade away fast. The value is delivered, but people don’t perceive it.

And they may even transfer it to the brand or person that helped them.

Beyond "Satisfaction": Are You Truly Indispensable?

"But our satisfaction scores are high!”

Customer satisfaction is how well you performed relative to what a customer expects.

So, if the industry standard is low, having “very satisfied” customers doesn't mean much.

Your customers may seem "satisfied," but they might still have a hidden desire to leave.

They’re easy targets for a company that wants to raise the bar.

Think about this: how many of your customers would miss your business if it disappeared tomorrow?

That’s the real litmus test to know if you’re just another option or truly enhancing lives.

The Path Forward: Creating Lasting Value You Can Feel

To create a trusted brand, you need to shift your focus from solely buyer psychology to user psychology.

And there’s strong evidence that the post-purchase phase matters a lot.

According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer:

• 78% of people said they uncover things that attract them and make them loyal to a brand after their first purchase.

• 50% of people who actively research brands they buy said they do most of their research after they buy.

This highlights a huge opportunity. Right after the sale is the perfect time to build trust and connection.

This means adding value to the experience as it happens:

• Make it simple for customers to maximize the benefits of what you offer.

• Prompt them to use your product or service with helpful reminders.

• Resolve any problems that arise without delay.

• Reinforce the value that they receive.

Value is a perceptual game, not a reality game. And what gets reinforced gets perceived.

When customers perceive value, it confirms that they made a good choice. It helps build their identity as smart decision-makers.

Here are three ways to keep that value perception alive and well:

1. Evolve Your Offerings: Update your offerings on a regular basis. Make sure these changes help you solve their main problems. Avoid making updates that don’t really matter.

2. Create Empowering Content: Make resources like tutorials, guides, and workshops. These help customers get more value from your product or service. Highlight benefits they might overlook.

3. Reward Those Who Stay: Don’t reserve all your best perks for new acquisitions. Offer special benefits to show your long-term customers that you value their trust.

When your customers feel that they get more value from you than they give, something shifts.

They start trusting.

Your business isn't just another choice they make. It turns into the indispensable solution that truly makes their lives better.

And when you deliver real value repeatedly, you earn confidence and trust.

That creates a competitive edge that's tough to replicate.

Onward,

Aaron

P.S. Do your customers see and appreciate the full value you provide long after they buy? If you're not sure, or suspect there's a gap, let's talk. Reply to this email, and I’ll arrange a free 15-minute call. I'll help you find ways to make your brand essential.