Exceeding Client Expectations with Dani Whitestone
I sat down with my friend and colleague, Dani Whitestone, to chat about exceeding client expectations as a business owner. Our conversation was triggered by the book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara, that we read together in Dani’s networking group.
The book is about running restaurants. Most restaurants focus on the food when they’re trying to improve. Will and his team focused on the service and the hospitality. Even though it was about restaurants, it can clearly apply to any kind of business.
Dani is a business coach who specializes in helping business owners improve customer experience. Once she read Unreasonable Hospitality, she knew she had to take advantage of their certification program so she could help her clients focus on and provide an improved customer experience.
“People are spending so much money and so much time to get leads without putting enough care into that customer journey they will experience.” - Dani
When you optimize that experience and exceed those expectations, you convert the types of leads that appreciate the experience you give them while working together. They will love working with you and send you wonderful referrals, and you won’t have to work so hard for new leads all the time.
So, where do you start?
Mapping the customer journey is the first step
love to sit on the ground with my markers, my post-it notes, and a large pad of paper, and record my client journey so I can see the whole thing. Once you see it, you can identify gaps and any areas that need improvement and take action. Your process can be fast and efficient, and still level up the service you offer by creating repeatable systems. Touch points to consider:
When they see you on social media
That first interaction with them
When they make a purchase
…and beyond.
Strategic Timing for Client Engagement comes next
Set the tone in the beginning, and follow up at the end. Simply by listening, you can make people feel seen and appreciated. Send a handwritten thank-you note or a welcome video once they sign on. Send a thank you email after they pay their invoice. Upleveling your service doesn’t have to cost money or take more time. Some things can be automated. When you’re intentional and strategic, you can streamline and also offer a better client experience.That leads to our next topic.
Thoughtful Gift-Giving
When you send a bunch of swag covered with your logo, that’s advertising, not gratitude. It’s okay to give a piece of branded swag with one or two other thoughtful things, something more intentional, like a gift certificate to a restaurant or cafe they mentioned, or a local gift like honey or candy. And again, you can send a no-cost gift like a video, or handwritten card. If time is an issue, your VA can help, and many gift vendors will package and send gifts for you.
Tracking Client Information
The best way to track information like this is in a CRM - a client relationship management platform. There are many options, paid and unpaid, complicated or basic. It’s important to choose one you’ll actually use and maintain. You can also use a Google spreadsheet to keep it simple. Your CRM is where you can keep detailed notes, birthdays, things you have in common, vacations they took, etc. It’s a wonderful way to show that you listen and you care.
Enhancing the Client Experience
When you’re the one managing the work, you want your client to be informed, at ease, and confident that you’re doing great work for them. Stay in touch so they know what’s happening. Fill them in on updates and changes. Communicate what’s next. It’s like being a host and making them feel comfortable during their experience with you.
Creating a Signature Client Experience
Dani lives part- time in Vermont and sends maple syrup from a local company.
“Something I've stumbled on that I send to people in my circle is this sparkle maple syrup. It's so cool. It's made by a company near me, and it has edible sparkles mixed into it. It's just one of those things that it's different, and something I can do to surprise and delight people.” - Dani
She spoke in Nashville recently and brought some with her, then left with the title of “Sparkle Syrup Lady”. It was a big hit, and a nice treat for anyone who hasn’t been to Vermont before.
Measuring Client Satisfaction
When you complete a project, feedback is the best way to find out if you’re hitting the mark, or if there’s something you can improve upon. Again, this can be just a few questions in a form you create in your CRM, or through Google forms or Jotforms. You can also send one in the middle to see how things are going. Ask them how they’re feeling about your work together so far and how they would rate that on a scale of 1 to 10. It will help you deal with any initial issues and anticipate possible client challenges.
Profitability of Excellent Customer Experience
Think about this for a moment - 86% of people are willing to pay more for customer experience. That’s a high percentage, for sure. People will drive further, wait to get on your schedule, and pay more when they know they will have less stress and more satisfaction working with you. It’s a powerful growth strategy for your business.
Learn more about Dani on her website, www.daniwhitestone.com and if you’d like to listen to our whole conversation, it’s available on YouTube.
Are you ready to move towards your vision? I help service-based small business owners create a clear strategy, establish structure and routines, and run their businesses with confidence and intention. Schedule a call with me to hear more.