The Client Experience Is Everything - Part 1

In my last post, I shared with you some very simple strategies on how to go about becoming the preferred the choice in your industry. In this newsletter I want to delve even deeper and discuss why the overall client experience of doing business with you, is critical both to your success – and more importantly – in positioning your company as the preferred choice.

Whenever I initially ask a business owner, “What makes your special?”, or “Why should I buy from you?”, one very common response is “Well we provide excellent customer service”. Most companies promise ‘excellent customer service’ and will position their uniqueness around this notion, however, how many actually deliver on this promise, or in fact over-deliver?

Excellent customer service these days is a given; we expect it. This quality simply gets you into the game. Customer service needs to be something much more effective, demonstrable and above all tangible.

I believe there are three key areas that you, as a business owner must focus on, to deliver a consistent client experience. These are as follows:

• Before the sale;
• During the sale, and;
• After the sale

So in this post I want to discuss the first of these three areas:

Before the sale

We now have more choices that ever before – or to put it another way – as a potential client, I can virtually take my business anywhere; especially when I’m deciding on that first, initial, purchase.

So keeping this in mind, you need to create the ultimate ‘client experience’ from the very moment someone makes an initial enquiry with your business. Why? Because this affords you a tremendous opportunity to make a real impact on the prospect, from the very beginning.

Let’s imagine the conversation that’s going on inside your potential client’s head. They will be feeling all manner of emotions when considering doing business with you: they might feel wary, sceptical and/or threatened. Who knows, maybe your prospect has dealt with someone from your industry in the past, and was promised all manner of help that didn’t materialise.

The fact is, you have a tremendous opportunity to re-set your prospect’s perception of you, your business and the results you can provide from the moment they make that first initial contact.

You see, whilst the competition might follow-up an enquiry with, say, a standard letter and/or put a brochure in the post; you won’t offer much more. So here are two very powerful strategies I want you to adopt:

• Offer an education up front
• Treat the prospect as if they are already a client

I believe that as a society as a whole, we have all become very good at ‘filtering’ or simply ignoring the many marketing messages that come our way, every day. In particular, those messages that do not speak to us on a personal level. So one way to ensure your message cuts through all of this clutter, is to offer a tremendous education up front. That is, rather than using a very ‘sales orientated’ message, you begin to educate your audience from the very start, as to how you can appreciate their concerns and frustrations. You begin to offer some valuable insight that will enable them to have much greater confidence in buying from you.

Always keep this in mind: Education builds rapport, cold direct selling breaks rapport.

So before any transaction has taken place use every opportunity to demonstrate your expertise.

The second part of this strategy involves treating the prospect as if they are already a client. Simply put, because you anticipate gaining their business at some stage, you don’t hold back on the initial advice and guidance you’re able to provide. Now I don’t believe one moment you ‘give it all away’, after all you have a business to run!

However, because there is an expectation – that in time – the prospect will turn into a client, you treat them as one and the same. It’s really a shift in your mindset: because you anticipate the prospect’s business at some point, you ensure you offer the best guidance and insight from the very beginning.

Again, notice how both these concepts go far beyond simply following up an enquiry with a standard letter, email or telephone call. Ultimately people buy from people they like, and so this approach will do wonders for your PR!

In the next post, I’ll provide you with some key strategies on how you can offer a better client experience during the sale.

How To Market Yourself As An Expert - 5 Quick 'Fixes'...

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of ‘expert status’: how to again authority in any industry – and more importantly – how to make sure your audience sits up and takes notice of what you do.

Becoming the preferred choice can take time; it won’t happen overnight. However, starting today, here are several quick fixes to help position yourself as an expert in your industry, sector or niche:

1 – Use ‘badges’ of credibility

If you’ve joined a trade association, or you’re a member of an industry organisation, place their logos on your marketing literature, or at the very least on your website.

2 – Use ‘quality’ testimonials

Never underestimate the power of third party evidence. What someone else says about you, is far more compelling and persuasive than what you will ever say about yourself. By ‘quality’, I mean, testimonials that explain -- in detail -- the difference you made. Not the ‘I’d recommend XYZ Ltd, ‘cause they’re great!’, kind.

3 – Educate your market

This can be the key to your success. Write about the issues concerning your industry, sector or niche. Offer a specific insight. Not only will you educate your audience, but you will be associated with that education. So can you craft a white paper, report or even a regular newsletter?
Are there any industry specific websites that might allow you to contribute an article? Or how about posting a series of articles to article submission directories? Maybe start, or contribute to, a blog.

4 – Make more of your website

Make it obvious to anyone visiting your website that you are an expert, an authority. For example: do you have a product you can sell, do you have some educational material I can access e.g. articles, reports. No, not everyone will read everything, but it’s the perception that counts.


5 – Put yourself out there

Use a combination of offline and online activities. Look for opportunities to speak at local (relevant) business events, organisations or chapters. Similarly do a quick search online on your name, or company name. How often do you appear? Or maybe just as importantly, where do you appear?

Don’t forget, that if someone is thinking of engaging your services, they might decide to ‘Google’ you, to find out a bit more information. Imagine the credibility you would gain, it was quickly apparent that your ideas, thoughts and advice were seen to be all over the internet. If you’re not climbing up the search rankings, then start to work on this. How? See the points above.

So there you go; five quick steps to help market yourself as an expert. It’s a start, and remember, it’s all about perception.


If you feel you might benefit from some, dedicated, one-to-one help, then please visit the link below for further details:

www.maverickmarketingconsultancy.co.uk/consultancy.htm

This is YOUR prospect talking...

Here is a message from your prospect...

“Today has not got off to a good start. I’ve just got into the office, and I’m late. In fact, very late. Leaves on the line, again. This is not great because I now have minutes to prepare for the first of five meetings today. Yes, I should have done this yesterday, but well, I spent most of yesterday dealing with staff ‘issues’!

Just fired up the computer and opened my inbox. Wow! Over 45 emails to wade through -- or delete. Look another ‘exclusive sale’, and what’s this someone I’ve never heard of wants to add me to their LinkedIn account. Oh and deep joy... The minutes from last week’s management meeting have finally arrived and they need my approval; by lunchtime.

And Roger from accounts has now emailed me -- for the third time -- asking for an update on next month’s figures. And why does everyone keep on copying me in on everything?!

Three minutes left to prepare for my first meeting.

The phone goes. ‘Yes, I know we’re starting soon... Yes, I appreciate you’ve been waiting, but the train was...’ They put the phone down!

Welcome to my world.

And then I come across your email. Now this is going to go one of two ways.

Firstly, I’ll open it and you’ll tell me all about you and how great you are... How long you’ve been in business... How your latest, greatest service will turn my company around. Perfect. That has now saved me my most precious of commodities: time. I don’t even have to read the rest of it: you’re email is now safe and snug in my delete folder.

Or... Your email is relevant: completely focused on me and my business. You’ll be talking specifically about outcomes, results and solutions. In fact, you’re not even ‘selling’ but offering a new and specific insight into my industry: you’re offering a report or something of value that I might just want to download, or register for.

Great. I’ve registered for this information and look forward to reading it. Now, I must go, I’ve got the first of five meetings to get through...”

Welcome to the world of your prospect: over-worked, time-poor and cynical.

I hope you get the picture. See the world through your prospect’s eyes. They are never interested in you, only in what you can – specifically – do for them.

In the beginning...

Thought it was about time I ventured into the world of 'blogging' and so here is my first attempt. Various ramblings will be included over the coming weeks, however, for a regular dose of 'Maverick Marketing', do feel free to subscribe to my free marketing newsletter, click here for details.