The Personalisation Playbook: Creating Products and Services That Truly Stick

0:02Jeannette Linfoot:2025 personalisation has become one of the biggest levers for growth, but it's not just 2025. This has been around for many years in business and will continue to do so way into the future.

0:18Hello, brave, bold, brilliant family. Jeannette Linfoot here and I am so glad that you're joining me today. Now let me start with this question.

0:28Jeannette Linfoot:Have you ever felt like a product or service was designed just for you? Maybe it was Spotify recommending your perfect playlist. In fact, check out the Brave Bold Brilliant playlist on Spotify because that is brand new and we're super excited to bring you all those cool tunes from all of our incredible guests. Or, you know, it might be that a business coach tailored exactly the advice that you needed for your specific situation. So didn't it feel amazing, almost addictive to a certain degree? Well, that is the power of personalization. Now, in 2025, personalization has become one of the biggest levers for growth.

1:10Jeannette Linfoot:But it's not just 2025. This has been around for many years in business and will continue to do so way into the future. So the reality is that customers don't just want good products anymore. They want experiences that really feel custom built, that fit seamlessly into their lives and that make them feel seen and heard. So by the end of this episode, you're going to walk away knowing why personalisation is no longer optional for entrepreneurs. The hidden pitfalls of fake personalisation that actually turns customers off and a playbook that you can apply right now to make your products and services truly stick.

1:54So we're going to dive in and I'd love for you to share with us your thoughts. So if you're watching this live on YouTube, if you're watching it back on social media, listening to the podcast, let us know what's the most personalised experience that you've ever had with a brand. You know, and whilst we're talking about this, before we get stuck into the different sections of this that I'm going to take you through, let's make sure we're connected. So if you are not following me on social media, please do. Let's start speaking to each other. Let's build those meaningful relationships. You can find me everywhere.

2:31LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok under Jeanette Linfoot with two N's and two T's. And also we have our business pages, Brave Bold Brilliant. And of course, our website, www.brave-bold-brilliant.com, where you're going to find stacks of resources that's going to help you on your career and business journey. So make sure you sign up to that community on the website because then you're going to get access to loads of more free resources to help you. So let's get into this.

3:03Jeannette Linfoot:Section one. Well, why does personalisation matter now? Well, here's the reality. We live in an era of infinite choice. There are dozens of options for every product, every service, every solution. So why do people choose one brand over another? Well, because it feels like it was designed for them. You know, neuroscience even backs this up. Our brains light up when something resonates personally. It creates emotional stickiness that generic solutions simply can't match. So entrepreneurs and business leaders who ignore personalization really risk being drowned out in the noise. But those who embrace it, well, then they win loyalty that lasts.

3:49And really connecting with your clients where you have shared values and a strong purpose that actually means something to them allows you to cut through that noise. But what about the danger of fake personalisation? You know, because there's a lot of it out there. Let's be honest. You know, you know the kind of email. When you get an email that starts with your name or maybe not even your name, which is even worse, it just says hi. Well, it's clearly a generic message that's been sent to thousands of people,

4:24Jeannette Linfoot:hundreds or thousands or maybe when a product recommendation is completely irrelevant you know do you ever get that actually on LinkedIn as well where someone sends you a message into your LinkedIn inbox and they've clearly not even read your profile your bio what you're about what your business is about it drives me crazy it really does so you know whether it's something as simple as that or actually just a mass market approach to marketing that doesn't resonate with you Well, you know, that kind of surface level personalization, it doesn't build trust. It actually destroys it and it turns people off.

5:02Jeannette Linfoot:So in 2025, customers are savvy. They can spot inauthentic attempts from a mile away. And when they do, it feels manipulative, not meaningful. So the question isn't how do I trick people into thinking something is personalized? The real question is how do I actually design experiences that feel truly uniquely valuable? You know, so let's get into the third part of what I wanted to share with you, the personalization playbook. So I want to share with you four ways that you can create personalization that truly sticks. So the first point is you need to listen first and design second. True personalization, it starts with understanding.

5:50Jeannette Linfoot:You know, you might use surveys, conversations, customer feedback, you know, to really learn what people really need. The second part is you've got to segment smartly. Not everyone wants the same thing. You know, you're going to break your audience into meaningful groups and serve each one differently. Now, in our Rise Academy, actually, under one of our modules around living and breathing your brand, we talk about customer, knowing your customer, segmenting your customer into different categories against a set of criteria. Because what that means then is you are able to understand the needs of each of those customers.

6:31Jeannette Linfoot:You're able to understand what product and service you can target at those different segments. You understand the lifetime value of a customer. And of course, all of that means that you can adapt and shape your communication, your marketing budgets, your marketing strategies appropriately for those different customer types. This is super, super powerful. And even if you might say to me, well, I don't know, actually, I don't have the data. I'm going to talk about data in a little while in the third point. But even if you don't have the data, if you're a startup, maybe, or you're, you know, you're kind of bootstrapping your business, you don't have a big customer database.

7:14Jeannette Linfoot:You can still get a good sense of the different types of customers that you serve, even if it's not backed up by perfect data. So please don't let that be an excuse or a reason why you don't do this So the third point really, the third part of this playbook Is about leveraging data with care Now data is super powerful As I say, you might not have it In which case I've already given you a tool Which you can still segment your customers But when you have data It can really unlock that personalisation at scale But it has to be used ethically We have to respect people's privacy and use those insights to serve, not manipulate.

7:58Jeannette Linfoot:And the fourth point around the playbook is add a human touch. You know, the best personalisation still feels personal. Handwritten notes, tailored thank yous or just small custom details can make someone feel like they're your only customer. You know, when I was the CEO of the travel division at Saga, we used to bring in a concept of delight and surprise. Right. So if someone was traveling with us on a holiday, of course, we would absolutely deliver the best holiday possible for them according to what they had booked with us. But more than that, we always like to sprinkle a little bit of magic with something very unique and special.

8:43Jeannette Linfoot:Acknowledging someone's golden wedding anniversary or a birthday or the fact that this was the fourth time they traveled with you. You know, leaving a nice bunch of flowers or knowing what kind of drink they might want in the minibar, for example. Now, data allows you to hyper personalize, but it makes the person feel unique and special. A handwritten card from the general manager of a hotel to say, welcome, hope you enjoy your stay with us. If there's anything I can do, please let me know. All of these things, even when you know that actually the data has been used to help create that personal experience.

9:26Jeannette Linfoot:When done well, it makes you feel a million dollars and like you are truly recognized and heard within that organization. And that, of course, drives loyalty. So when it comes to personalization in leadership, it doesn't just apply to customers. It applies to leadership to think about your team. You know, not everyone is motivated by the same thing. Some people thrive on recognition, others on autonomy, others on growth opportunities. Some people are more transactional, actually, and they just want to turn up for work, do a good job, get their paycheck at the end of the month and, you know, have a nice experience while they're there.

10:06So great leaders personalise their leadership style to bring out the best in each person. You know, knowing a few little details around the name of your team's kids or have they got certain things that happen in their lives right now, in particular, when times are tough, you know, life happens.

10:26Jeannette Linfoot:It is not, you know, in a silo that we do business. It gets a bit muddled sometimes, doesn't it? It can get a bit messy sometimes. But when you understand your people and you treat them like individuals, people don't just work for you because they stay loyal. They also feel understood and listened to. So let's get into some couple of examples of personalization done right. So I just want to share a few of these. These are brands that you will know or may have heard of. I'm sure you have. Maybe you've actually bought a product or experienced a service. So let's have a look at Nike. They allow you to design your own shoes, which turns a product into a statement of identity.

11:12Jeannette Linfoot:Pretty cool, hey? So it's still mass market. It's a big brand, but they have managed to allow you to still tailor your shoes according to what's right for you. And then let's have a look at Netflix, right? Their entire interface is about serving you the right content at the right time, isn't it? almost before you think of it yourself. And then if we look at, you know, small businesses, it's a bit easier to do it in a small business, but I've seen entrepreneurs hand deliver thank you gifts to speak directly to a customer's lifestyle. You know, those customers never leave or picking up the phone, you know, recognising someone.

11:50Jeannette Linfoot:And it's not about scale in this case. It's really about impact. So I would love to hear from you. Let's bring this back to you. You know, share with us your ideas. Put a comment in the social media post if that's where you're listening to this. You know, what's one way you could add personalization into your business this week? No matter how big or how small the idea is, what's just one thing? Focus on that. You know, or if you're a customer, what's one brand that absolutely nailed personalization for you and why? You know, and those examples from you might actually inspire someone else to listen to the episode and take action today.

12:30Jeannette Linfoot:So let's put it into practice. Now, here's the big idea. Personalisation isn't about being bring everything to everyone. It's about being the right thing to the right someone. You know, when you make your customer feel like you get them, their frustrations, their goals, their quirks, they don't just buy once, they buy again and again and again. And that's how you create products and services that truly stick and drive loyalty, deliver results, but also, most importantly, deliver a fabulous experience for your clients, for your guests, for your customers. So as we wrap up today, remember that personalisation, it's not a trend, it's the new standard and it's the businesses that thrive will be the ones that don't just serve their audience and clients and customers, but those that make them feel understood.

13:27Jeannette Linfoot:it's powerful now if today's episode has given you some inspiration please make sure to hit like so more people can join our brave bold brilliant community subscribe as well please so you don't miss future episodes and really share this with someone who needs to rethink how they're connecting with their customers so until next time stay brave stay bold and always brilliant I really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Brave Bold Brilliant. Remember, check out our new website, www.brave-bold-brilliant.com. You're going to find loads of resources on there that's going to help you with your leadership journey and with the businesses that you're trying to scale up and grow.

14:14So take care, everyone. And remember, there are no limits to your growth, but it is by being brave and bold that you're going to unlock your brilliant.

14:27Thank you.