For the guests of his hotels, César Ritz focused on consistently providing superior service that he characterized as “invisible.” According to Andrew Sobel, there are five dimensions to a great client experience. Here is a brief excerpt from his monthly newsletter during which he poses key questions to consider. To read the complete article and check out others, please click here.
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Do you wish to offer a unique client experience? Here’s how.
1. Value. Does the client feel you are improving their business and organization and also adding value to them personally? I think value is a sine qua non, a foundation for the overall experience. The client must answer the question: Are we better off doing business with you?
Questions: Do your clients fully appreciate the value you are currently adding? What could you do to enhance their perception of value-added in your relationship? Are you regularly tracking and communicating your impact? Would greater communication and transparency enhance your client’s sense of value?
2. Education. Does the client feel they have learned on a personal level and/or that you have improved the skills and capabilities of their organization?
Questions: What are you doing to educate your client? What can you do to build your client’s organizational capabilities and also to improve the skills of the individual executives you work with?
3. Engagement. Do client executives feel like active, involved participants in the process? Or do they feel like something is being “done” to them?
Questions: What opportunities could you create to draw your clients in and make them greater participants in the work you’re doing? How could you create “reach” instead of always “pushing”?
4. Emotional Resonance. This is a little different than (3). Are you engaging your clients’ emotions—their hearts—through the experiences you create?
Questions: Are your conversations always focused on the analytical and rational, or do you also touch on the emotional side and ask questions about feelings—about fears, hopes, excitement, and aspirations? Are there opportunities to create “experience environments” outside the office which encourage greater emotional involvement? Could you infuse your presentations with more stories, graphics, videos, and so on?
5. Entertainment. Have you captured the client’s attention and created enjoyment and fun? This is not trivial: People learn more, are more engaged, and are more open to new ideas when they are having fun.
Questions: Is working with you and your firm fun? Do you use humor? Are there opportunities for you to make your client interactions more entertaining?
When most or all of these elements are present, the odds are greatly increased that you’ll deliver a great client experience. The results can be powerful.
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To read the complete article, please click here.
Andrew Sobel is the leading authority on the strategies and skills required to build clients for life and develop trusted business relationships. The most widely published author in the world on this topic, he has written four acclaimed, bestselling books: Power Questions, All for One, Making Rain, and Clients for Life. His most recent book, Power Questions, shows how to use powerful, thought-provoking questions to win new business, build relationships and influence others.