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How to
Differentiate Yourself From the Rest: It’s not enough
just to meet customer expectations anymore
by Anne M.
Bachrach, A.M. Enterprises
Do you know what
it's like when you nurture and cultivate a quality business
relationship with a client? Do you know what it's like when you
have a client relationship where they would never consider using
another person/company for your types of products and services?
You know what I mean, the kind of clients who buy what you tell
them to and they provide you with even more business and
continuous referrals. Do you know what I'm talking about? Isn’t
it a great feeling?
Think of the times
when you received, as a client, exceptional customer service.
How often do you pay for products/services in which you did not
like the service or get what you believe is average service? If
you did receive average or exceptional service, how did that
make you feel? I know exceptional customer service makes me want
to do business with that person or company again and to refer
their products/services to everyone I know.
As we all know,
satisfied clients tell an average of 3 to 5 people. Unsatisfied
clients don't return, and they tell approximately 10 people and
then those people tell other people. A successful business
attributes approximately 85% of their clients to word of mouth.
Make your customer service work for you and not against you.
Why do clients
choose NOT to return to a place of business? In the Secrets of
Service book by Susan Clarke, it states that 68% quit doing
business with you because they encounter an attitude of
indifference. You see, it doesn’t take much to keep the
clients we want. All we have to do is just exceed their
expectations by a little and we will be far ahead of the
competition.
Here are six tips that will help you exceed your client’s expectations.
1. Build Trust
Every other ‘salesperson’ is trying to build rapport by
using common ground techniques and we all know what those
are. You know when someone is trying to make small talk to
find out what your interests are so you can develop some
kind of rapport before they try and sell you something. Bill
Bachrach, author of Values-Based Selling; The Art of
Building High-Trust Client Relationships, has a great quote,
"People do things for people they trust, they won’t
do for anyone else." You can show genuine interest in
your clients and find things in common, but it is not the
first thing you do. You want to build trust, which is the
foundation for long-term loyal relationships. People can
like you and not want to do business with you. People do
business with people they trust.
2. Be
Enthusiastic
Are you happy to be alive today? If not, what
has to happen for you to be passionate and enthusiastic
about what you do every day? When you love what you do
(passionate about it), people notice. We attract people when
we feel this way because people like to be around people who
are positive. We repel people when we act otherwise. Clients
don’t want to be around us when we don’t have that
desire and enthusiasm.
Your enthusiasm
and excitement rubs off on clients and that creates referral
business for you. Enthusiastic people are often very
productive and overflowing with energy and ideas. Learn to
take pleasure in the little things and train yourself to keep
that enthusiasm flowing. Be the person your clients look
forward to hearing from. Put a smile on your face and get
excited. Your smile will come through in your tone of voice
and attitude. If you feel burned out or haven’t had a
vacation in a while, take some time off. It is proven that
free time (vacation time) rejuvenates you and you are much
more productive when you return to work after taking a
relaxing and enjoyable vacation.
3. Observe the
Golden Rule/Platinum Rule.
The Golden Rule basically says,
treat your clients the way you would expect to be treated.
The Platinum rule says to treat your clients the way they
expect and want to be treated, not how you expect to be
treated (because it might be different). If you want to
learn more about the Platinum Rule, there is an entire book
by this name by Tony Alessandra. Help your clients get what
they want and need based on what is really important to them
(not to what is important to you because it might be
different). Return phone calls promptly and keep promises
you make. It is better to over deliver than under deliver.
As you work with your clients in this way, ask yourself,
"am I referable" from my clients perspective?
4. Be a team
player
Be a team player in as many groups as you can. I’m
not talking about every group on the planet. I’m talking
about getting involved in the groups that makes the most
sense. You have an interest in what they do or stand for and
your target clients also have the same interest/involvement.
What kinds of things are your target clients involved in and
that you enjoy? Participate in those groups. It can be
volunteer work for charities or non-profit associations or
even golfing. As Ronald Reagan said, "You’ll get what
you want out of life by helping other people get what they
want." You want your clients to view you as their
coach/resource to help them make smart choices and be even
more successful.
5. Ask Good
Questions and Listen
Knowledge is key to personal and
professional growth, and both are vital to sales success.
You won’t learn anything by talking, but you can find out
a lot by listening. Don't assume you know what your clients
want or need, ask them. Survey, verbally and/or written,
your clients about what they want, don't want, need, desire,
expect and then give it to them. Ask them what is important
to them, gain insight into their values. Help them to
achieve what is important and you will be successful. Ron
Karr & Don Blohowiak give specific examples of why we
don’t ask questions, and the power and benefits of asking
‘good’ questions along with the types of questions to
ask in their book, Idiot’s Guide to Customer Service.
6. Show Your
Gratitude.
Remember to say "please" and
"thank you." It sometimes seems like a small
gesture but it is very important in our fast-paced world.
Thank them for their business, both personally and with
hand-written notes. Even if they did not buy from you right
now, thank them for their interest and for spending time
with you. They just might remember that simple gesture when
they are ready to buy, or they might refer you to someone
who needs what you do now. Dan Sullivan, The Strategic Coach
for top producers, says that saying ‘please’ and ‘thank
you’ are two important things to do toward getting more
referrals from existing clients.
I like to send
small items of appreciation to people, like items I think they
will enjoy based on what I know about them. I give things like
books, clocks, motivational audio tapes, quote cards, carrot
pens (yes, they actually write), fashion jewelry, etc. When
you say thank you, it doesn’t have to be expensive. It can
be something to make them laugh or something to help them get
more knowledge in an area that will help their business reach
the next level. I even send them articles I see that I think
would be of value to them. They can be things related to their
spiritual health, financial health, physical health,
relationship health or even mental health.
Exceed client’s
expectations at all times. Go the extra mile and it will pay off
for you time and time again. Your clients will feel good about
spending their money with you over and over again. Consumers are
no longer settling for poor or average service. They have
choices and exercise their options to spend their money with
whoever provides them what they want and gives them exceptional
customer service too. T. Scott Gross wrote Positively Outrageous
Service and has included in his book many new and easy ways to
win customers for life that may also help you.
Keep the
competition back over your shoulder. They don't have to be in
the distance, just as long as they are behind you. Do you know
where your competition stands today? Exceeding your clients’
expectations only takes a little bit of effort, but it can do a
lot for your sales.
©1999 Anne M.
Bachrach, San Diego, CA
Anne M. Bachrach is
President of A.M. Enterprises in San Diego, CA. Anne has 16
years of experience training and coaching. Her main focus is
training entrepreneurs and salespeople how to build high-trust
relationships, on purpose (Values-Based Selling™). The
objective is to do more business in less time through maximizing
people’s true potential, and ultimately leading them to an
even better quality of life. For more information on our
services and learning tools, call Anne at 858-554-0136, fax
858-554-0545, or e-mail anne@bachrachvbs.com.
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