Tip 86: Take a stand

Stand up for what you believe in. Don’t cave into doing something contrary to your values when pressure comes your way. Not only will you be sticking with your convictions, but you’ll please the customers who stand for what you believe in as well.

Examples

1. Cheerios stood by their ad featuring an interracial family, even after getting lots of backlash. Instead of giving in to those who took issue with their portrayal of a family, they simply stopped listening to them by disabling the comments on YouTube.
2. Honey Maid took a stand against the backlash they received in response to an ad campaign they ran that showed different types of families. In their follow-up video, they reinforced their belief that the only thing that matters in families is love.

Suggestions

1. Be prepared to lose some customers when you take a stand. People who have strong opinions that oppose your viewpoints may not like what you do, or your public expression of them. That’s ok. Just know you’ll gain many more loyal fans who will stand by you because of it.
2. Share your values early. When you share your values with your customers from the very beginning, they’ll be less likely to be surprised should you have to take a stand on a particular issue.

Application for your business

1. What are your company values?
2. Write down three ways you can share your company values with your customers.

Previous tips

1-22. Section 1: Build a relationship with your customers (series)

23-48. Section 2: Make your customers’ lives better (series)

49-62. Section 3: Reward your customers (series)

63. Be cool (code for be yourself)

64. Love what you do (and let it show)

65. Give your business some G.A.S.

66. Have awesome people

67. Take care of your awesome people

68. Be remarkable

69. Be memorable

70. Shake things up

71. Be awesome in unexpected small ways

72. Be awesome in unexpected big ways

73. Start a movement

74. Be fearless

75. Tell the story about your product

76. Do mundane tasks in a new, different, and unexpected way

77. Empower your team to make a less than optimal experience right

78. Be prepared for anything

79. Have an ego

80. Don’t take yourself too seriously

81. Make them lol (literally)

82. Dance

83. Sing a song or rap

84. Turn your customers’ frowns upside down

85. Make it bigger than you