Crafting the Client Experience
by Michael KnowlesA few issues ago I wrote about crafting the reader experience. In a conversation a few days ago, a friend and business associate used similar words to describe how he wanted to lay out our mutual approach to business. And we decided that we wanted no customers. We wanted clients. You probably know where I'm going with this, but I'll tell you anyway. In my business, I want ongoing relationships with people, not a series of one-night stands. Running my own business is enough of a tightrope walk without having to dig for a new customer every second. Don't get me wrong. I'm always marketing, looking for new clients to add to my roster. But I like being able to work with someone over the long term. They get better use of my time that way, and I deliver better products simply because I know their businesses better. Makes a lot of sense to me. And it made sense to my friend. As we talked about crafting the client experience, we hit upon something we think of as the three pillars of the client experience: - Set expectations.
- Follow through.
- Follow up.
Doing these steps building trust, and trust is what turns customers into clients. Set ExpectationsAs I engage clients, I provide them with a checklist of the things we plan to do. It's more detailed than a statement of work, which specifies in a general way work to be performed. Yet it's less than a project plan, because it gives only a list of tasks to be accomplished to complete the project. Clients like that list, especially for more complex projects, because it lays out in simple language what we're about to do. It establishes trust, and trust is the most important building block for turning customers into clients. I have a checklist for brochures, white papers, press releases, and even data sheets. My clients always know what's going to happen, the order in which it's going to happen, and can track the job through the process. Not all customers ask for a detailed schedule, either, so I use the checklist to set one. Follow ThroughI like to build a weekly client meeting into every project contract. It's a formality that serves as a marketing tool: "You mean you want it in the contract that you're going to contact me? I like that," is the response I usually get. I give clients a weekly status report, naturally, but I like the personal touch of a phone call or face-to-face meeting. Plus things come up in those meetings that never surface in e-mails until it's too late. Follow UpYou've heard the old saying, "Under Promise and Over Deliver." That's what follow up is about. I set up a feedback meeting with clients after the project is complete. I also like to stay in touch with my them even when I'm not working on a project. You see, much of the work I do comes out of knowing everything I can about the client's business. I'm in the business of solving certain types of problems and helping my clients increase their profits as a result. If I'm in touch with them regularly, I hear about those problems and can make suggestions they can act on right then to solve them -- often at no charge. I may not get a project out of that contact, but I'm continuing to build the trust needed to sustain a long-term relationship. It's called communication. I communicate, and I listen closely to what my clients say -- and to what they don't say. Is it a lot of work? Yes. But I tend to have projects going all the time, without a lull, because I have relationships that mean something. This business, for me, is all about relationships. Try building relationships with your customers. And watch them turn into clients. Copyright (c) 2002 by Michael Knowles. All Rights Reserved. | 
