The importance of fulfilling the customers' dreams.

• Author: Chandler, Michael
• Position: Q & A - Interview

Michael Chandler is owner and president of The Chandler Marketing Co., Glenwood Springs, Colo., and the author of the new book, "Dreamweaving: The Secret to Overwhelming Your Business Competition" (Pelican Publishing, 2003).

Q: Is it a logical decision when a customer selects a bank?

A: This may come as a shock, but all buying derisions are based primarily on emotion, and justified with logic. Every human being follows seven exact steps when choosing everything he or she "buys," including choice of friends, spouses, dishwashing detergent, cars, clothes and banks. 1) I do business with people I like. 2) To like you, I must first trust you. 3) To build trust, I must first become familiar with you. 4) To become Familiar, I must first become aware of you. 5) To become aware, you must first get my attention. 6) The fastest way to get my attention is to be interested in me. 7) And more than anything else, I'm interested in fulfilling my dreams.

Q: Why is it important to understand the customer's dream?

A: Because it's all they want. The fulfillment of personal dreams is the most important thing in our lives. Those who help in our quest are passionately embraced. Those who do not are immediately discarded as irrelevant. Fortunately, that's all that banks ultimately provide: Dreams coming true. Every bank product and service must be designed to that end.

Q: What's the difference between a bank "boasts" and one that fulfills dreams?

A: Good bankers don't mean to boast. They do good things for others because they feel in their hearts it's...