Before you decide what projects you and your team will commit to in 2021, I’d like to plant a few seeds for you to “ponder on”, especially if your client experience is something that needs a bit of work.
You see, most businesses realise that their client experience is the heart and soul of their business, but the best businesses realise that there is no “destination” when it comes to improving it. The client experience of the past year becomes the expectation of the next year, so in order to consistently exceed your client expectations, you need to find a way to keep raising the bar.
So, what specifically needs to improve within your client experience right now… Is it your team? Your systems? Your processes? The answer is probably “a little bit of everything”. Given there are many interconnected, moving parts in your client experience, it can be hard to know where to start in forging towards a more remarkable and repeatable experience for your clients. This uncertainty often leads to “analysis paralysis” i.e. the place where great intentions and ideas go to die.
The secret isn’t necessarily to think big. Often, it’s to think small. The best businesses I see and work with don’t focus on making enormous, all-consuming efforts towards improving their service. They narrow their focus to specific areas of improvement and commit to implementing consistently over time. As a result, rather than trying to do everything all at once and making slow or no progress, they execute strongly, then move onto the next priority. This consistency becomes the foundation of strong, sustainable business growth.
To help you choose your first client experience focus for the year, use the below list of questions to get the cogs in your brain turning in the right direction:
1. Are your clients clear on the progress you helped them make during 2020?
2. Are your clients excited about what you’re working on together now and what you’ll be working on next?
3. Service delivery aside, do your clients feel cared for, valued and appreciated?
4. While you may be attracting new clients, are you attracting the right type of clients?
5. Is the essence of what makes your business special being reflected online?
6. Does your client service remain rock solid no matter how busy things get or who’s on leave?
7. Is there a part of your current process that drags on way longer than it should?
8. Are simple client tasks way harder than they should be?
9. Are your team clear on what the priorities are for your business, and committed to contributing towards these?
10. Are you nervous about whether your clients will continue to pay your fees or not? If so, what do you think clients aren’t getting from you that they should be getting?
“Cool list, Michael – but now what?”
Get a team consensus about which of the above is the biggest problem. Solve that one first, or if you’re doing this alone, which question made you feel the most uncomfortable? Start there.
This could (and should) be the best year yet for your clients and their relationship with your business.
How are you going to make it so?
Michael Back, founder and business coach, Human to Human
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Totally agree that client experience should be the heart and soul of every practice but it isn’t always the case. A great way to start identifying performance is to ask clients (their opinion is the only one that matters). We use this software http://www.mynextadvice.com.au and its really helped us get clear on how we’re performing and where we need to improve.
Nice article, can’t be talking about this industry – too busy chasing signatures, ticking educational boxes, proof reading 120 page SOA’s that nobody else reads and completing the 10 page checklists for compliant advice.
Great questions and ones that should be answered based on feedback from clients rather than “assuming” you know what your clients are thinking. A formal feedback process with help you have the data you need to make informed decisions. This can be gathered via email or in-person meetings. Once you receive the feedback, it’s important to let your client know you appreciate them taking the time to provide the feedback, you heard what they said, and you have a plan of action moving forward. Here’s to a great 2021!
Great points Tom and I completely agree. It’s crucial to use data, not just ‘your vibe’ to answer such questions. I like the idea of surveying vs asking face to face to make it feel safer for clients to be candid. Wishing you all the best for the year ahead.