Satisfied customers are good and loyal customers are great, but when it comes to the heart of the matter - repeat business and referrals - Customer Engagement is the greatest predictor of future behavior.  And by all accounts engaged customers not only spend more, but are more profitable for a business.

People Metrics defines Customer Engagement as "....the emotional connection between a customer and a company or brand."  It is the difference between a customer actively promoting your products and services (think customers as marketers), and buying from you due to convenience, pricing and lack of alternatives (a commodity business of sorts).  Rather than being stuck with you due to a lack of meaningful field of options, your customers stick to you through their entire lifecycle because they feel an emotional attachment.  

The most connected brands engage by:

• Exhibiting a compelling company culture, mission and vision their customers connect with
• Having a well defined ideal customer profile, including physical, intellectual and emotional attributes
• Encouraging meaningful two-way conversations with their customers - through ongoing product and solution innovation, customer service and fulfillment channels, and other communication channels

There are many creative ways to begin developing a customer-centric engagement model; all start with one premise - keeping open lines of communication. How can you start yours?