How long do you hold on to something you no longer want because the price you’re paying (cash or otherwise) doesn’t outweigh the painful conversation/experience of the breakup?
This could be a monthly subscription (there is no cancellation button but a number you must call), a community or networking commitment you made long ago that has run its course, a vendor that no longer cares or delivers, or a circumstantial relationship when the circumstances have passed but the obligation persists. There was value, but the value has since diminished, and yet we hold on because, well, breaking up is hard to do.
I find myself in positions like this; you likely do too, and most certainly our customers do as well…..about us! And eventually, “if not feeling the love” lasts long enough, they will leave us, and by the time we realize it, it will be too late. The decision is made, the cognitive load is relieved, and most likely, nothing we have to say will change their mind.
It’s not enough to always deliver value; customers need to know and feel the value is being delivered. We can’t say we love you once; we have to say it again and again. We have to check in, we have to care, and we have to show that we care in a way that is heard. (Understanding love languages isn’t just for home life; it’s for work life too).
We don’t want to break up, and they don’t want to break up. Make it so it’s not even a conceivable option.
Also found in S3’s 3-Things Blog.
