Business Lessons Learned From Taylor Swift

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending Taylor Swift’s 1989 sold-out performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, with my 15-year old daughter and 60,000 other mother- (and some father-) daughter duos. There aren’t many solo artists who can sell out stadiums across the world, which made me think there are many lessons that can be learned by taking a closer look at what I call the Taylor Swift phenomena. Here are a few.

Speak from your heart. Throughout Taylor Swift’s career and all through the night, Ms. Swift spoke directly to her audience about the feelings she and her fans were experiencing. There wasn’t a person in the stadium who didn’t think she was speaking directly to them. Sure, it would have been easier for her to simply do what most artists do. “Hello Boston! So great to be here,” and be done with it. But instead, she made it a point to connect with the hearts and minds of every person in the audience.

Most businesses do little to connect with their individual buyers. Instead, they seek to connect with the masses. This explains why customer loyalty is non-existent in many businesses. Think about what you can do to personally connect with those you’ve worked so hard to secure as customers. It could be as simple as doing something kind for a customer who has shared a personal situation they are struggling with or sending out a Tweet thanking them for their business.

Let your followers speak on your behalf. In between costume changes, Swift put together testimonials from her famous friends and showed them on the surrounding screens. This strategic move reinforced the connection her followers had to Swift. A brilliant move!

Are you allowing your followers to speak on your behalf? If not, you should be. Testimonials are a much more powerful way to acquire and retain business than email blasts or advertising. When is the last time you asked a client for a testimonial? If you can’t remember, then make today the day you will ask a client to provide you with a testimonial. Then be sure to put the testimonial on your website for everyone to see.

The power of value. I’ve been to a number of concerts in my life which ended much earlier than expected. I left feeling cheated, after having spent what felt like my life’s fortune. From the moment Swift stepped onto the stage, she provided value. The production was first rate and she performed for two and a half hours. She gave the audience her all.

What kind of value are you giving your customers? Are they constantly surprised how much more they are getting from the relationship than they expected or are they leaving feeling ripped off?

Anticipation creates excitement. Throughout the tour, Ms. Swift has brought surprise guests on stage and this night was no exception. The crowd roared when she introduced Walk the Moon and sang their hit song, “Shut Up and Dance,” with them. The entire stadium was dancing right along.

What are you doing to surprise and delight your clients? If the answer is nothing, then take a lesson from Ms. Swift and do something!

Make it easy for your customers to buy from you. If you’ve ever bought band merchandise at a concert arena you know how frustrating it can be to stand in long lines to make your purchase. Not at a Taylor Swift concert. I quickly learned from my daughter that you can pre-order and pay for merchandise prior to the show. You simply show your receipt and pick up your purchase at a booth that has been designated for pre-orders. $70 later, we had what we “needed” sans lines.

Can your customers easily make purchases from you or do you force them to wait in line? Don’t know? Try buying something from yourself and see how easy it is or isn’t to do so.

Leave your customers wanting more. My daughter tells me that it will be two years before Ms. Swift tours again. I personally can’t wait, and plan on taking a friend’s daughter, if mine decides she is no longer a fan.

Are you delighting and exciting customers so that they cannot wait until you announce your next offering? Think about what offerings will best engage your audience and then make it so.