Engage Deeply: Build Heartfelt Connections One Person at a Time (Fans First Principle #4)

Building Lasting Connections That Go Beyond the Bill of Lading

Think about the last time a business made you feel truly special. Not just a generic “Thank you for your business,” but something that made you say, “Wow, they really care about me.” That feeling is rare – and that’s exactly why it’s powerful. Engage Deeply is the Fans First principle that says: focus on meaningful, personal interactions, even if they don’t scale, because they create loyal fans for life. In Jesse Cole’s words, “Do for one what you wish you could do for many.” It’s a call to action on a human level.

For the Savannah Bananas, engaging deeply looks like this: Jesse and his team keep an eye out for individual fans they can astonish. If they learn it’s a couple’s 50th wedding anniversary at the game, suddenly that couple finds themselves being serenaded by the entire stadium. If a young fan tweets, “I’d love to go to a Bananas game someday,” they might get a DM from the Bananas inviting them as a VIP guest, complete with joining the players for a dance on the field. These are labors of love – you can’t possibly do it for every one of the millions of fans. But each time they do it for one, it echoes to many. The couple tells all their friends and family. The young fan’s TikTok about her VIP day gets thousands of likes. And internally, the staff sees these moments and gets inspired to create more. Essentially, the Bananas have made story-worthy fan moments their competitive advantage. Instead of spending on big ad campaigns, they invest time and effort into personal touches that people can’t stop talking about.

Now, you might say, “That’s great for a fan-based business, but in B2B transportation we have ‘clients’ not fans.” True – you might not call them fans, but wouldn’t it be great if your clients raved about you the way Bananas fans rave about their team? The principles are more transferable than you think. Engaging deeply in a logistics context could mean taking exceptional care of a single client or even a single stakeholder in a way that surprises them. For example, let’s say one of your shipper clients always has a tough time around holiday season. Their volume spikes, everyone is stressed, mistakes happen. You could assign a dedicated team member to personally manage that client’s holiday shipments and give them daily updates, maybe even your personal cell number to call with any issue. That extra white-glove attention tells the client “We’ve got your back when it matters most.” You can’t do that for every client all the time, but for a key moment with one client, it’s doable and unforgettable.

Another angle: consider the people within your client companies. Engaging deeply might be remembering that Logistics Manager Joe mentioned his daughter was ill last month – and next time you talk, you ask how she’s doing (and mean it). Or noticing on LinkedIn that CEO Susan of a partner company ran a marathon – and you send a congrats note and maybe a custom water bottle with your logo as a playful nod. These are little things, deeply personal, that show you see your customers as people, not dollar signs. As Jesse learned, when people feel seen and appreciated, they become fans.

Engaging deeply also applies to your own team and partners. If you treat your employees like cogs, they’ll treat customers like transactions. But if you occasionally do something special for an employee (like surprising your top dispatcher with a weekend getaway, or simply throwing a party when a driver hits 1 million accident-free miles), you build internal loyalty and a culture of care. Those employees will pay it forward to customers. The Bananas are known for treating their cast and crew like family, celebrating them constantly – which empowers those folks to pour that love onto the fans.

Let’s break down a few Engage Deeply tactics you can try:

• Start a “One a Day” Challenge: Each day, challenge yourself (or your team) to make one personal connection with a customer that’s not about business-as-usual. It could be a quick phone call just to check in, an appreciative email praising them (“We just wanted to say we love working with you and value our partnership”), or sending a useful article saying “Saw this and thought of you.” One genuine touch a day can snowball into a habit of deeper engagement.

• Celebrate Your Customers’ Milestones: Keep a client calendar – note things like the anniversary of when they started working with you, their big product launches or store openings, etc. When those dates come, do something. For a one-year partnership anniversary, for example, send a small gift or even a cheesy e-card featuring your team singing (hey, if Jesse’s players can sing in the dugout, your team can sing in an e-card!). If a client’s company wins an award, send a note or shout them out on your social media. Show that their victories matter to you.

• Listen on Social and Respond Personally: Follow your key clients on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, maybe even Facebook if appropriate). When they share something personal or professional, drop a thoughtful comment or send a private note. Did they mention they’re frustrated with something? Perhaps you can help or at least empathize. Did they share pictures of a charity event they did? Donate a bit to it in their name. This is 21st-century relationship building – it’s amazing what you can learn about what matters to people from their online posts.

• Create Fan Moments in a B2B Setting: Even in B2B, you can orchestrate moments that feel special. Invite a long-term client to visit your facility and give them a “red carpet tour” – literally, roll out a red carpet, have your staff sign a big thank-you banner, and treat them to lunch. Or if you attend an industry conference where some clients will be, host a private happy hour for them with a fun theme (maybe “Trucking Isn’t Boring Anymore” and have a banana-themed cocktail as a nod to Fans First). These little VIP touches turn clients into your advocates because they get an experience not everyone gets.

• Document and Share Stories: When you do something special, capture the moment (with permission). Take a photo of that client receiving flowers or that driver being celebrated with a cake. Share these stories internally and even externally (“Customer Spotlight: How we surprised ACME Inc. on their 1000th shipment with us”). It inspires others to engage and shows the world what your company values. As Jesse found, stories are more powerful than any marketing copyfrictionfreecommunications.com. A true story of a heartfelt connection will stick in people’s minds much more than a slogan.

One caution: authenticity is key. You can’t fake this. Engage Deeply only works if you genuinely care. Choose gestures or interactions that feel right for your company culture and true to how you’d treat a friend. It’s not about grand expensive moves; it’s about meaningful moves. Sometimes a sincere two-paragraph email expressing gratitude is more impactful than an expensive gift basket. Know your audience (for some, a public shout-out is thrilling; for others, a private thank you means more).

Case in Point: A small trucking firm had a shipper client whose operations manager was retiring after 30 years. This manager had been the firm’s point of contact for a long time. When they found out about his retirement, the trucking company’s team secretly coordinated with his staff to show up at his retirement party – with a surprise custom model truck painted in the client’s company colors, with his name on the door and “#1 Customer” on the trailer. They presented it and gave a short speech thanking him for his partnership. The man was floored. His colleagues and the higher-ups were equally impressed. That trucking company not only solidified their relationship with the client (who kept using them under the new manager), but the story spread to other potential clients who heard “these guys treat you like family.” One personal gesture turned into a legendary tale in that community.

So, find those chances to engage deeply. It’s like planting seeds of goodwill – not every seed sprouts immediately, but over time you’ll have a forest of loyal fans grown from those one-on-one moments. In a competitive industry, the company that cares the most wins. As Jesse Cole might say, caring isn’t scalable – but caring is contagious. You do it for one, others catch on, and soon you’ve set yourself apart as the business that truly values its people. That’s the kind of reputation that no competitor with a lower price can steal from you.