As business owners, we often think of our client’s journey with us in terms of what we do for them – results. We want to make sure that all the parts of what they hired us to do is done on time and with excellence, and we work to ensure that our team is able to deliver. One way to ensure you are building rapport is to review the client’s experience from their first contact with your business. Do you deliver exceptional service?
Yes, there are a lot of balls to juggle , and in our quest to not let any of them drop, it’s easy to lose sight of the most important thing: how easy is it for your client to work with you and get the results they’re looking for?
The systems you create equip your team members to serve your clients productively and profitably, but if they don’t start with your client journey in mind, they might not be as effective.
By keeping your client’s perspective in mind as you set up your systems and workflows, you can solve a lot of issues before they start!
Client Engagement
Your client’s journey starts when they first reach out to your company. This could be through social media, a phone call referral from a friend or colleague, or an email because they’re looking for services you offer and you happen to be local.
Is it simple and seamless for them to contact you? And once they do, how quickly do they receive a response?
A client response and engagement system doesn’t have to be complex, but it needs to be effective. It might include procedures for your Receptionist and Marketing Assistant to follow, but it also might include something like a chat platform that is embedded on your website and in your DMs.
For many businesses, having a team member who is dedicated to Client Engagement is a huge benefit. This person is focused on building relationships, tracking motion of leads through conversion, and helping prospects and clients navigate moving forward with your company.
This step of your client’s journey sets the level of expectation for their entire time with you! If they find you reliable and easy to work with from the start, they are more likely to both hire you and trust your team throughout working with you.
Onboarding and Client Happiness
Once your client signs with you, the onboarding process is key. Your Client Engagement process gave them a good idea of what it might be like to work with you; the onboarding step gives you the opportunity to start fulfilling those promises.
Is your method of sending proposals, contracts, and invoices simple to navigate? A good CRM can handle much of that process for you.
Once they sign the contract and pay, do they receive any sort of a welcome packet letting them know what to expect? If they need to supply you with information or completed forms, have you spelled out exactly what you need, when, and why? Remember, your clients hired you for your expertise – they don’t have the same training and experience you do.
As your new client begins to work with your team, how are the communicated with and when? Are there clear workflows in place that allow your team to hand off tasks smoothly? Does your client trust that your team is on top of everything?
As Owners, it’s common to build our systems based on what is most streamlined for our team; when it comes to client-facing systems, we also need to make sure that we take our clients’ needs into account. Doing so will help you create effective systems and wow your clients!
Offboarding and Creating Raving Fans
Eventually, your client’s journey with you will come to an end. It might be a few weeks, several months, or years, but eventually you will resolve their issue! The outcome to seek is that they refer their contacts to you based on their experience, even if it didn’t go the way they hoped.
However, this doesn’t have to be the end of the road. You can and should stay in touch with your client, but you can also make it easy for your clients to send you referrals and even work with you again.
This is where your Client Engagement Specialist can help. By building a strong relationship, your CES can keep your client in the loop on any future products and services that may benefit them, including your network of other servicers you know like and trust for other needs they have. And by keeping your company on their radar, they can also help to build your referral business!