Creating Passionate Users

You and your users: casual dating or marriage?

I was unexpectedly gone for a few days because I fell in love... with my new skis. What was supposed to be a late-season one-day trip became three of the best skiing days of my life. And all because I was on skis that made me feel like I kicked serious alpine ass. ; ) No, this is more than love... this is passion.

I've always been in love with skiing, and it's been close to a passion. But despite my love for what you do with skis I was never seriously into skis (or any other equipment as long as it worked). If you'd asked me a week ago, I would have said that I "loved" K2 skis. My first pair of skis as a teenager were K2s, and every pair I've had since then have been K2s. If the company had tracked me, they'd have said I was a loyal, perhaps even passionate user. And I thought so too. But it turns out, I was merely a little sentimental about the company.

When the time came to make a new buying decision, I discovered just how unpassionate I really was for K2. When I found an expert to help me (a ski guru at Boulder Ski Deals), we narrowed it down to two skis: a new K2 women-specific ski (very cool idea) called "One Luv", and a women-specific ski from Volkl, the 724 EXS Gamma.

But here's the thing -- although I favored the K2 because I had thought I was a fan of the company, when it turned out they didn't have them in my size and I'd have to wait a few days for them to come in, I switched. My so-called love and loyalty evaporated.

And I think a lot of businesses probably mistake customer retention (repeat buyers) for customer love, when it might be nothing more than the fact that humans tend to be habit-driven, especially in the face of so many choices. I tended to buy K2s because I knew it was a good company, and they'd always worked for me in the past. Although until this week, I probably never uttered the words, "I love my skis!" So when presented with a choice between something new I could have right then (and even at a slightly higher price) or waiting a couple days for my "love" brand, I dumped K2 without the tiniest flicker of emotion. I wasn't a passionate K2 user, and it turns out I wasn't really even in love.

But now, with Volkl, it's a different story. Because of the combination of an awesomely-engineered pair of skis, and the expert thoughtfullness with which the sales guy at the store made his recommendations, I ended up with a pair of skis that took my skiing into an entirely new plane. After the last three days, I am not just passionate about skiing, I'm telling everyone I know to pay attention to Volkl, especially women. My passion for the sport of skiing has now been permanently bonded to a particular ski vendor. (And the store where I got them as well.)

Let's say these skis are stolen next month or next year. After I back away from the ledge, I'll do whatever it takes to get another pair of these skis. And if that model is discontinued, I'll buy a different pair of Volkl skis. I'm absolutely certain of this:
Ill wait as long as it takes to get them, and I'll pay a premium.

Remember, it doesn't matter how your users feel about YOU, all that matters is how they feel about themselves as a result of interacting with your product or service.

By making me kick ass, Volkl now has my undying loyalty and passion. Something K2 never managed to do. And yet, even if I'd had only good (but not fabulous) experiences on my K2s, the company could have inspired my loyalty and passion by giving me something more to believe in. But they didn't. At least not in advance. It turns out that K2 women donates a portion of their sales to the Breast Cancer Research Fund, a cause dear to my heart (my mother died from breast cancer at the devastatingly young age of 40). But at the time of my purchase, I didn't know that. It might have tipped the balance, actually.

Could K2 have done something to turn my perceived-but-not-real loyalty into a long-term commitment? Probably, although I'm not sure how. Maybe they needed an aggressive ski registration system, so they could have known--and rewarded me--for being a K2 owner.

Hmmm... this gives me a lot to think about, but most important is the need to stop confusing loyalty with love, and love with true passion. Great customer service and a great product can earn you satisfaction, and often love, but until we get something close to passion, an attractive outsider can still turn a user's head. And the way to move toward passion, is to give your users the kind of experience I had this week... where I thought I was simply the hottest thing on Copper Mountain (I wasn't, of course, but that's not the point ; )
So, what are you doing to give your users the "I kick ass" experience? And what are you doing to help lock in your relationships with regular, but not yet passionate users?