So, why do people stop loving your product?

When I was 13, the TV show I loved above all others was…wait for it…Blake’s 7.

I never missed a week, and my devotion was total – until the final episode in which the main characters were killed off and I was very upset!

At the time, I felt betrayed. Fortunately, I’ve got over it and even in a fit of nostalgia I probably wouldn’t watch it again. Firstly, because it would seem very dated and not very good, secondly, it’s not readily available to view and thirdly, I’ve got better ways to use my time.

The point is, I stopped loving it.

If you think of a TV series you loved to start with but didn’t watch to the very end, ask yourself why?

In my case, I wouldn’t watch Blake’s 7 now because there are much better things on TV. I stopped watching 24 because it wasn’t really popular, the novelty had worn off and so I felt a bit silly. I stopped watching X-Factor because it started to feel as if it was more about humiliating the people auditioning. I stopped watching The Big Bang Theory because the characters changed, they were no longer what originally appealed about them, and it lost its magic. I stopped watching Friends because even though it’s great, I’ve seen it too many times. I stopped watching The Americans because it’s no longer on Netflix so it’s too much trouble to find, and I stopped watching Death in Paradise because the one plot – which was part of the fun in the first place – became just too stale to feel worth it, especially when my children didn’t want to watch it anymore.

The crux of it is, one way or another, we feel let down in some way – and that’s also why we stop loving brands or products.

But how does this all relate to keeping your clients?

Well, take the example of ‘there are much better things on TV now’. In terms of your product, you need to stay relevant, up to date, and as good if not better than your competitors. You also need to be able to recognise that some things have had their day – so monitor where you are in your product lifecycle.

What about ‘it wasn’t really popular anymore, so I felt a bit silly watching it’? That’s all about social proof – so how do you get it and maintain it for your products? Well, through reviews and testimonials, by telling people what your best selling item is, telling people what most people buy, telling people how many others are watching that item, telling them that they are a positive trend etc.

Your social proof is about making people feel part of something – it doesn’t have to be massive – it just has to be popular in your circle to make you feel part of it.