eSoup

More bang for your client appreciation buck

Because most companies send their big customer appreciation gifts during the holidays, I think it's smart to do the opposite of that.

I give clients gifts at other times of the year, when they aren't really expecting them and when other companies aren't also sending gifts. It makes a bigger impact and makes you stand apart from the crowd. It also shows that you're paying attention to them as individuals. It takes extra consideration to remember special personal days than it does to remember December 25. 

When I start with a new client, I have them fill out a Client Profile where I ask them their birthday, the date they started their business and their wedding anniversary. I also make a note of the date we started working together. I give them little gifts on these special anniversaries and whenever I happen to see something that I think they'd like.  As we're working together, I keep my ears open for things they say that clue me into gifts they'd appreciate. It takes more work and closer attention to detail, but it's fun and extremely gratifying! And, most importantly, it makes the client feel special. 

The art of the testimonial

This week, as I was wrapping up some long term projects with a client, she asked me, “Would a testimonial from me be helpful?” My response: “Yes, please!”

It’s rarely this easy to get a testimonial. Usually you need to ask, but there are many ways you can do this without feeling like you’re begging for a compliment.

If you work with clients on a daily, long-term basis like I do, solicit feedback on a regular basis. I’ve made it part of my business plan to give clients an “are you still pleased with what I’m doing” feedback questionnaire every 6 months. (You can create free questionnaires at Survey Monkey.)

Some of the questions I ask are:

• Do you feel like working with me has helped your business grow and improved the quality of your life?
• Do I provide work of the highest quality on time?
• Do I communicate clearly and consistently?
• What skills can I learn that would benefit you?

Some clients will elaborate and create wonderful blurbs on their own. If they do, you can just take the quote you want to use and ask the client if you could use it as a testimonial.

For clients who don’t elaborate, but just answer the questions with “yeses” and “nos”, you just create a well-crafted testimonial using the info they’ve given you and then ask them for their approval.

For example, if they answered “yes” to the question “Do I provide work of the highest quality on time?” then they are essentially saying “Sharon provides top-quality work on time. She is reliable and professional.” If you write the testamonial yourself using their feedback, you're able to highlight the features about yourself or your business that are the most important to you and to say it in a way that appeals to you. Most customers will also appreciate that all they had to do was the final approval of the blurb. More on testimonials later...

What experience are you creating for your customers?

I saw a great post by Terri Z over at Solo-E about Client Retention. I agree, it really is all about the relationships you create with your clients and the personal investments you make. I think that the low-cost provider might have an edge in getting customers, but the businesses that provide quality customer service are more successful at keeping long term customers. And that's what we all want, right?

Here's a story to illustrate my point:

My mother has recently discovered the lure of Starbucks. She is not a trendy person and is very money conscious, so I was surprised that she's been getting really into going there. (In the past she has always gotten her coffee from gas stations and fast food places.) So, how did they hook this frugal, non-gourmet coffee drinker as a customer?

The first time she went there, it was simply because she wanted a cup of coffee. Not their coffee--any coffee. The next time she went they didn't have any decaf ready, and she had to wait 4 minutes for a fresh batch to brew. To make up for her wait, they not only gave her the coffee for free, but they upgraded the size!

She felt important and like they valued her time. Since that free cup of coffee, she's been returning regularly. She justifies buying their costly coffee by thinking of it as a treat for herself. I think it's great--she deserves to treat herself more.

She tells me she goes there because she likes their Sumatra decaf coffee. When I suggested to her that she could buy some Starbucks coffee grounds from the grocery store, then make it whenever she wanted at home for a much cheaper price, she didn't seem too thrilled.

So, my conclusion is that it's not the coffee that's drawing her there--it's the whole experience Starbucks gives her. The coffee lingo, the friendly "barista", the bending-over-backward to please her, the relaxed atmosphere. The experience, not the product. I know they do have a great product, but the thing is, that's not what's keeping her coming back.

So, how can we transfer this insight into our own businesses? What experience are you creating for your customers? Why do they stay with you? What do they appreciate? What makes them feel special? Like Terri Z said in her post, the best way to find the answers is just to ask them.