Have you ever noticed that you remember the beginning and the end but tend to forget the middle of something? It could be an event, a project, a relationship, a trip. The middle is the part that just sort of speeds by as we approach the end. This can be leveraged in your business. Start strong and finish strong, and deliver incomparable value in the middle, just remember that your clients will often remember the start and finish the most.
Create a Memorable Beginning . . .
What does this mean to your business? It means have an auspicious beginning. What can you do to really cement a stellar relationship and establish the tone for excellence? Perhaps it’s about small gifts, a friendly letter of agreement, outstanding follow up, gracious customer service. Your customer service excellence may launch with sending your client a basket of fruit or flowers, a box of chocolates, a mug or promotional item that is useful and memorable.
Thank you Counts . . .
What are you doing to say THANK YOU for putting your trust in me and doing business with me? Then, of course, there is the middle of the experience where you deliver excellent customer service (and product when relevant). And as the term of your work comes to a close, you want to end on a high note so that you set yourself up for referrals and future business.
What is Your Extra Mile?
Are you going out of your way to ensure client satisfaction? Do you send a follow up thank you and small token of your appreciation? When I did a telesummit, at the close I sent each expert I’d interviewed, not only full exclusive access to the summit and an MP3 of their interview, but a basket of Hope’s Cookies. They each remarked how delicious and thoughtful that was. At the start of my customer service campaign I’d done a personalized video inviting each one to participate and I regularly stayed in touch and provided a wealth of simple tools to make the summit a success. I was all about making it easy and unforgettable so I’d be able to ask them to participate in future events. It worked!
Design an Unforgettable Experience
With coaching and consulting clients, I am regularly checking in during the term of our engagement (beyond scheduled calls and emails) to determine progress, check to see what additional resources I can provide. I include tokens that remind them of their commitment to succeed and keep moving forward as well as my motto of Prosper by Design. Because I’m all about a Blueprint for Success no matter what your business, I often leverage this as a theme in the reminders and goodies that I send. What is your business theme?
Outrageous ROI: Your Value X10
My goal is to deliver an experience that is worth 10x the investment made by the client. That means that if they’ve invested $5K, they see an ROI of at least $50K from the work we do. It works!
A colleague of mine, Sandy Martini, is a particularly gifted expert at the art of tokens of trust and reinforcement of appreciation, strong tools in the creation of outrageous customer service. Even before you commit to working with her, she is sending hand written notes and reminders of your value as a client. It is powerful and effective.
What can you send or give to your client? Do you already have a customer appreciation program in place? How can you be unforgettable and set yourself up for endless referrals and repeat business? Share in the comments here.
