Love as a Business Strategy

When we talk about the need to "create value," we're talking about making a very real and discernable difference. For all of us, no matter whom we depend upon for our daily bread, that means making our customers love us.

If people buy from you because you give them the cheapest price, they'll buy from the next guy for the same reason. When we create business propositions around cutting prices, I'm reminded of a joke about a man and a woman in a bar. The punch line concludes with the recently face-slapped man answering, "We've already determined what you are. Now we're just haggling over the price." That type of transaction in the bar and the ones that we engage in predicated on discounting are not healthy, are of questionable character and are devoid of value and meaning. We not only can do better than that—we must.

If your customers buy from you because of the love that you show them and because they love you, you can profit more—both in your bank account and your heart. You need to know this—people don't buy with their heads. They buy with their hearts. You don't compete for their money. You compete for their feelings and emotions. If you touch the hearts of the people you serve, they will be loyal and become partners. Engage their emotions and they'll become raving fans. Raving fans don't just give you referrals. They become your ambassadors and evangelists.

Is there room for soft-hearted words like "love" in the world of business? In our self-important universe of trade and commerce, can we use this kind of language? I believe it is critical that we use it and live it. Speaker and author Tim Sanders wrote the bestseller, "Love Is The Killer App" and challenges business people to become "love cats." He argues that the way to fix your future is to fix yourself and that in today's world the road to prosperity is paved with a commitment to generosity.