25 - Unlocking Loyalty w/ John Ruhlin

Thanks for stopping by the Instant Impact podcast with your host, Elyse Archer. Today, Elyse talks loyalty with the loyalty expert himself, John Ruhlin. John is the author of “Giftology”, a book where he explains his philosophy on how to build better, deeper relationships in a shockingly easy way. He’s also a speaker and leads his team of giftologists who have created gift packages for some of the largest companies and pro sports teams in the world, but their mission and heart is to serve and take relationships for mid-sized, privately owned businesses to a new level using their Proven Process. John is a farm boy. He’s a blue-collar man who got his start interning at Cutco selling knives. With the help of his mentor, who he watched give free knives to CEOs, John had a lightbulb moment. It wasn’t about the knives, it was about the message behind sending the gift unprompted and without expectation. John and Elyse talk about how to get referrals without asking. Asking for a referral can be uncomfortable and awkward. John’s points out that most people give gifts out of obligation--be it a holiday or a special event. They also give cheap, meaningless gifts with a logo slapped on there. A better way to approach giving is to be consistent. The gifts your giving aren’t for giggles. They’re acting as artifacts that will leave an impression that can lead to being referred based on your generosity, thoughtfulness, and genuine care. As far as loyalty goes, John emphasizes the importance of inspiring actively loyalty. This means they are thinking of you and talking about you in their circles, bringing in more referrals. As he says, you don’t need to hire a full-time sales representative if your clients are referring you. By showing love with no strings attached, relationships flourish. Elyse mentions that industries are often dog-eat-dog and these thoughtful gifts cut through that. Remember, it’s not about the gift itself—they are a tangible way to show the care you have. So, what if you have a loyalty problem, either with clients or employees? Where do you start? John suggests that you take care of your own team and start internally. For example, John has his employees homes cleaned regularly and has their cars detailed on Mother’s day. By establishing a strong relationship with your employees and showing them love, the loyal bond that’s built pays off long term. John also suggests avoiding temporary gifts like food. Think about the cost per impression. You want a gift that will keep you in your client’s minds 365 days of the year, not the afternoon some fruit will last. Create lifelong, bucket list experiences for clients. What you’ll learn in this episode In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to build loyalty, both internally with your team, and externally with your clients through meaningful gift-giving. John shares some insight on how to identify a loyalty problem and how you can mend relationships by showing love to those around you. John tells us how much to spend on strategic gift-giving and what makes it so impactful. Links Email: john@giftologygroup.com Referrals with no asking – free course https://giftologybook.com/ https://johnruhlin.com/ Request a free Brand Strategy Call: http://thebrandbuildersgroup.com/callelyse