Client experience is such an intangible thing for your business. We all know it’s important, yet it can be difficult to make the direct correlation between the strategy and your bottom line.
The reality is that in today’s marketplace, many non-tangible elements contribute to your business success: client experience, communication (newsletter, blog and social media), website and web presence, and so on.
Business development doesn’t work in silos: I make “X” number of cold calls, I meet “Y” number of prospects, and get “Z” number of clients. Nowadays, your business growth initiatives must be integrated where each strategy contributes to the overarching goal. So we need to think differently and act differently in order to succeed.
Let’s go back to client experience…
A profitable and memorable client experience is a two-prong approach:
No. 1 Relationship management: which means offering a service that meets your clients’ needs and exceeds their expectations.
No. 2 Relationship marketing: creating positive word-of-mouth and influence in a way your clients and centers of influence will talk about you.
What you need to do to get there
Step 1: Have a clear client segmentation to understand client profitability, and a service plan for each segment are two fundamental elements (and always revealing when you do the exercise!)
Step 2: Create a client profile sheet for each client. A client profile is a single-page document which centralizes all the information concerning them at a glance: personal information, details on their dreams, their ambitions, roadmap with you, etc.
Step 3: Develop a client experience step-by-step guide for all your interactions: onboarding a new client, meeting client, etc. This guide describes each step: what will happen before, during and after each interaction with you. Put each of the steps in writing, who will be responsible for them, and when, to ensure consistency. And consistency leads to trust, which in return generates references.
[tweetthis]Consistency leads to trust, which in return generates references. [/tweetthis]
Step 4: Consider having a team blueprint for your team. A team blueprint is the heart of your business culture. It includes important aspects such as: the words you use (and the ones not to use, such as OK, yeah, sure, etc.), the team’s philosophy, the dress code which reflects your brand image, etc.
Steps 1 to 3 are about skills and abilities. The last component concerns the attitude—how people feel in your presence.
What is the difference between a Ritz-Carlton and another hotel in the same category? It is simply the way people treat us, speak to us, watch us, and smiles at us.
The difference is the intangible of what you offer—this is it,” think different.”
Join in the conversation
Now I’d love to hear from you, let me know: What should you put in place in your business to create the “wow” with a profitable and memorable client experience? Let me know by clicking here.
Until next time! Stay strong, you never know who you’re inspiring!
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