Recently, I had two strikingly different customer service experiences. The first, a bad one, occurred when I hired a marketing firm that promised huge results and delivered none of them. One of their team members even admitted that she never thought they could deliver the results they promised.

Even after terminating the contract, I continue to get automated social media messages from the CEO trying to engage me in a conversation as if I am a new prospect. Not a good experience.

My other experience, a good one, occurred when I ran into an issue while booking a flight through an airline's website. I called customer service and Jennifer enthusiastically answered the phone, even though she was working on a holiday. She asked me about my son and our holiday plans. At the end of our conversation, she triple-checked all the details of the flight. She made me feel seen and important.

In “Human to Human" by Bryan Kramer, he says, “Businesses do not have emotion ... Humans do. Humans want to be included. Humans want to feel something."

One of the biggest challenges for today's agents is how to stand out, retain customers and attract new ones. There are countless shiny objects, automation platforms and tools to help you do this, but at the end of the day, these tools aren't the main difference-maker.

The way to win in today's increasingly automated, impersonal world is to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing—go human to human. Focus on the person, and your agency's revenue goals will be met as a byproduct.

Here are three ways to do it:

1) Audit your customer experience. Make a list of the areas where you can improve the experience for clients. Also, think about the natural emotional lows in your customer lifecycle and inject a “surprise-and-delight" moment, such as a handwritten card or a call to thank them for being a client.

2) Deploy “Secret Service." John DiJulius, owner, president and chief revolution officer of The DiJulius Group, recommends using what he calls Secret Service to exceed expectations throughout the customer journey. You can do this easily by spending some time online to find out about a client's favorite foods, sports teams, alma mater, likes and dislikes, and more. Then, strategically plant this information in surprise-and-delight moments throughout the customer lifecycle to ensure they feel appreciated and valued.

3) Do what you say you're going to do. “Acknowledge when someone sends you an email, even if you don't have the answer for them yet," says Amy Kniseley, vice president at Highland Capital Brokerage who credits much of her success to this simple habit. “People just want to be seen and acknowledged," she adds. “But then make sure you get the answer and get back to them, always following through on what you say you're going to do."

Remember: One of the most basic human needs is significance. Your clients are human, and they just want to feel important. Succeed in doing this, and you will win in every economy, every time.

Elyse Archer is an international keynote speaker, the founder of the Superhuman Selling and She Sells movements, a Salesforce Top Influencer, and the host of “She Sells Radio." Learn more at elysearcher.com.