by David Lester, Brightworks Managing Director, US Finance Lead
Welcome to the 21st Century, where although we’re not quite as established as The Jetsons predicted, groceries can still be delivered by drones, some cars can drive themselves and dating app analogies can be used in the business world. Yes, you heard that right, and you’d be surprised what businesses can take away from dating apps in order to get customers to swipe right on their brand.
Don’t believe me? Here are five similarities between the two:
1. Be Visually Sexy.
You want your dating profile to lure people in just by the first impression, right? Well that means making it visually appealing. The same goes for your business. The first move you make on a potential customer will leave a lasting impression. Use your design skills or hire a designer to make your website, social media, newsletters, videos and any other content you provide eye-catching and sexy. The brain processes images 60,000 times faster than it does text, so if efficiency is your goal – think photos.
2. Be Yourself.
You’ll never find someone you click with if you aren’t truly being yourself – both in your personal life and as a business. New customers and/or clients won’t be attracted to you if you’re putting out false pretenses. Many businesses miss the mark on targeting customers because they try to be everything to everyone. Find the niche that works for your company and go after the people who fit within that category. And don’t be afraid to be approachable and make the first move (“How you doin’?”).
3. Close the Deal.
Once you’ve found your perfect match, close the deal with a call to action. In dating, this may be dinner or drinks. In business, you should give your audience a reason to interact with you. Once customers visit your webpage, you have about 10-20 seconds before they move on – so make it count by quickly telling your story and capturing their email address.
4. Be Honest.
It’s not you, it’s me. Breaking off a relationship or telling the other person it’s just not working out isn’t easy, but sometimes it’s what has to be done. When you screw up and have a customer service or operational melt down, be upfront and direct with your customers so they know exactly where you and they stand.
5. Use Kaizen (constant change, constant improvement).
Is your dating life just not taking off, or are you attracting the wrong people? As in business, you should constantly be reviewing your progress and tracking your success. Are you achieving your set goals? Are you analyzing trends and adjusting to changes? You won’t know until you try, so put yourself out there and figure out what works best for your company.
David Lester, Managing Director, leads Brightworks’ digital financial services out of New York. Lester is a professional financial coach with over thirteen years of experience in finance, advertising and communications. He is the author of two finance books, “I (Heart) Money” and “From Middle Class To Millionaire“, and writes the blog iheartmoney.com.
