I attended a 10X Growth Conference held in Las Vegas between the 14th and 16th of February, 2023. It was a transforming experience that changed the lives of many participants. Immense value, excellent speakers and an amazing level of energy. There were many inspiring speakers worth remembering. Still, I remembered most the interview conducted by Grant and Elena Cardone with Sala Blakley (owner of Spanx) and her husband Jesse Itzler (NYT Bestselling author).
They were discussing partnership issues. What struck me was value alignment and its importance in long-term relationships. This inspired me to share the role of value similarity (or value alignment) in business. Below I am sharing six reasons you should choose clients like you and be clear about it from the beginning.
1. We like people who are alike
The similarity is one of the ways to build rapport with another person. We like people who are similar to us. It is not a secret: finding a person (or, in this case – a brand) becomes more critical daily. We are tired of the mass of brands that are the same or very similar. They compete for our attention using various mass-marketing techniques. We are searching for a deeper connection. Sometimes brands lead us even to self-discovery. They allow us to build rapport with their brands or magnetic leaders.
The law of proximity says that as we get closer to someone we start being like him/her. It works the same with the brands. If you are near a brand, you start behaving in a way the brand promotes. No matter if these are personal brands or corporate brands, it works the same. We should pay attention to the five people we spend time with and the brands that shape us for their raving fans. So, if you are a brand/business owner, you should be transparent with your values. You will magnetize people who align with your values. You can even shape them to feel and believe similar things.
2. In long-term relationships, it is crucial to believe in similar things
The goal of most businesses is to create long-term relationships with customers. You cannot build a lasting and trusting relationship. Creating a scheme of values you share with your clients is SO important. It helps to overcome difficulty when you have a common ground, value system and vision. Analyse the brands which experienced some crises. Most of those that survived had strong values to which they came back after the problem (or even during the one). For that reason, a value system is crucial for every enterprise. I would even say that it is more important than a mission or vision. Because usually your “why” is based on your values.
3. There is always a ground basis to return when facing difficulty
This relates to the last part. Remind yourself of any quarrel that you had with your friend or suppose. You probably thought about how to behave and what to do next in each situation. If this were a person you have no previous experiences with or a person you don’t especially like, your behaviour would be different.
Sometimes, we return to the situation after a quarrel to understand it better. But we decide to forgive and forget, only forgive or continue the disagreement. If your loved one did something unforgivable, you try to forget either way. You return to your emotional and intellectual ground base and shared experiences.
It happens the same with the brands. When you don’t like the product, but the previous ones were good, it is easier to think this was a single mistake. When companies lied about the carbon emissions of their cars, it is tough to forget it. Still, when you see actions of the brand which support the “green values”, you forgive.
4. There are fewer surprises during the journey
Usually, when you get to know the offer of a specific brand, you start feeling and learning its value system. We like being sure that we can foresee their behaviours based on the information that we have. It’s comforting to know that the salesperson will not be outgoing. Or that when you enter the shop, he/she will ask if he/she can help and will always assist you. It is all about individual expectations. You choose one of those two situations depending on your preferences and character. This is why we like sharing similar values. Because values influence behaviours. We fight for similar things. We feel safe when we can describe someone’s future actions.
5. We are more prone to engage in a relationship
Imagine how the brand fights for your rights as if you were its friend. Think about brands like Dove or Body Shop. They not only give their customer’s right to be different or “regular”. They fight for their customers’ right not to be skinny but still be and feel beautiful. And it is not about aiming for the mass market. It is far more critical.
Dove in their marketing communication tries to show that every woman is beautiful. They give women the right to be their best versions in this particular moment. For this reason, women feel supported by the brand, even though they are not their customers yet. And when you look at their activities supporting regular women like you and me, you want to engage more. You wish to buy their products and be close to this brand. They give you and other women something essential. Something we wouldn’t receive from another brand. They make us feel enough. And you want this feeling for you and your loved ones.
6. We are loyal when sharing goals and values
And why are we loyal to those brands? Because we have similar goals. Because we know that our voice matters more when we are not the only ones who say it. Sometimes we are not even bold enough to say what our inner voice says. So when someone does it for us, we follow our inner voice to support the brave enough brand to stand out. The notion of loyalty is essential here. This is one of the measurements to say if the customer will move to someone else.
Why it’s essential for us as brands?
We live in a world where brand messaging overwhelms and overstimulates customers. Customers are tired of listening to similar voices from everywhere. For that reason, they are searching for deeper relations. It includes their colleagues, family and brands. Brands stop being abstract forms. They evolved to become our colleagues or friends. This is why we must think about brands we own as if they were living and breathing human beings. Brands have to be open today to share their values, to share their stories, to share their experiences. This is the only way to be recognized, known, trusted, and even loved.
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