“Pleasure is a powerful source of motivation, but it does not produce change; it is a conservative force that makes us want to satisfy existing needs, achieve comfort and relaxation … Enjoyment (gratification) on the other hand is not always pleasant, and it can be utterly stressful at times. A mountain climber may be close to freezing, utterly exhausted, in danger of falling into a bottomless crevasse, yet he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Sipping a cocktail under a palm tree at the edge of the turquoise ocean is nice, but it just doesn’t compare to the exhilaration he feels on that freezing ridge” Mihayli Csikszentmihalyi
 
   In my opinion, this statement has a lot to say about the distinction between delighting customers and getting customers emotionally and psychologically engaged. Delights or pleasures might help close deals in the short-term, but the delightful activity will quickly lose its appeal to customers. If you want more business and subscribe to “delighting customers”, you will need to constantly find new ways to capture the customer’s attention. In contrast, when customers become emotionally and psychologically involved the circumstance takes on meaning to them and this meaning drives desire. Desire, of course, is the foundation of lasting commitment. It motivates customers to seek the experience over and over again—as long as the situation is engaging.
 
   The positive emotional impact ensues from the experience. To experience it the customer must be engaged. Similarly, authentic customer relationships ensue from the customer having the experience. Therefore, it behooves interested in strong customer relationships to learn how to get customers engaged.

Posted by John Todor on Wednesday, February 8th, 2006 at 7:18 am.