The Seventh Level: Literate Thinking

It took your business both effort and persistence-but you've made it. Your customer has finally reached the Seventh Level:Literate Thinking. This reflects the highest level of engagement in our academic framework. Customers who arrive at this level don't simply get here accidentally. They've been carefully nurtured; attracted, engaged, and delighted. Now that your business has customers at this Level, you need to focus on their insights, successfully incorporating them into your story, and most importantly, treating them as a hero and ambassador for your brand.

These customers are more than just delighted with your product or service. They fundamentally identify with your brand on a deeply personal level. Think about a brand that you have a strong connection to. Can you identify why you feel that way? Is there something about that brand that maybe represents who you are as a person? Could it potentially reflect positive childhood memories? No matter what it is, a piece of your identity can be found reflected back every time you purchase that brand or use this service. Your loyalty is inspired, but it needs to be maintained.The CatalystU premier course is designed to help you arrive at this Level and provides you with the tools to continue to interact with those customers.

The focus of your Seventh Level customer maintenance should always be, “How can I make this special group of customers feel valued?”

It's more than just being grateful for their business. You want to know and understand how and why they connect with you. In order to do that, you need to really identify opportunities to use content created by this special group. They deserve to be messaged, managed and maintained at a completely different level than any other customers that you have.  

So, how should you do it? What do you do to keep those Seventh Level advocates? 

5 words. Roll out the red carpet. 

Consider curating VIP experiences for them- things like tours of your facility, private book signings or product promotion exclusive events. This kind of ‘limited access’ serves to provide an exclusivity that's only available to your Seventh Level customers- and you are making it all about them! In turn, they will freely promote these experiences with user generated content with no additional assistance from you. They're loyal followers. Everything for them should be done with a personal touch, and they will share your brand with the world. Your experience becomes their experience.

While maintaining this VIP group takes an extra level of work, losing one of these connections could be potentially damaging to your business. If you work to keep your Seventh Level customers engaged, your brand ambassadors will continue to spread your message. Why? Because they're going to care about you, and you're going to care about them.  It is the best kind of relationship- mutually beneficial and one that encourages the other to be at their absolute best. 

When we started this blog series, your company was asked to outline its core values by creating your own Catalyst Statement. Those core values and beliefs define who you are and the ‘why’ behind everything that you do. When you're working to maintain your Seventh Level customers those beliefs should always be at the front of your mind. They may be the hero, but they are sharing your values with the world. It’s a true partnership, the ‘Holy Grail of Engagement’ and it was worth the wait. Welcome to the Seventh Level.