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This is perhaps triggering for a few of you, and imagine me, it does bring a couple of interesting moments to mind. But one thing as business owners — especially in service-based industries — we must learn is how to practice treating all clients with the identical respect, integrity and urgency in our work.
I can hear the murmuring in your heads as you read this. You may say, “But this client was an actual jerk!” Or, “Well, this client doesn’t pay as much, so it’s less vital.” I hear you — and there are many other the reason why some clients or customers really bug us. The reality is, these are only individuals who work for other individuals who need to impress other people so that they could make other people comfortable. You see? It’s the circle of business life. We’re all just people on this thing together.
More importantly, we’re individuals who help other people, whether it’s within the immediate moment or 12 months down the road. And also you never know who you have impacted along the best way in those quiet moments who is perhaps the one who opens doors for you later.
In my experience running a PR agency, we’ve got worked with brands of all sorts of budgets, from our earliest days taking up small projects, to six-figure contracts today. Here’s just a little secret: Those small projects that we took on (and will or may not have lost money) — those clients trusted us a lot that they often made introductions that led to greater projects. And we’re grateful for that because we have grown almost exclusively by word-of-mouth.
It really comes down to perspective. Are we able to view folks that we meet as greater than just dollars and cents? Are we able to seeing ourselves of their shoes? Can we remember where we got here from and the way we began? Does any of this matter? Well, that is a loaded query I’m not prepared to answer. But I do know that we are able to at the very least consider interested by the best way we take into consideration our clients and the way they’re treated.
Related: You Cannot Have a Thriving Business Without Blissful Customers. Here’s How to Keep Them in Your Corner.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Just just a little bit
We absolutely have to show respect to our clients. Big or small. A nuisance or not. Why? Because when you imagine the one thing about your corporation that they’re going to remember is the work you probably did and never a foul attitude, reassess. In reality, think 3 times. People remember how they’re treated, and so they’ll tell others about it. About 61% of shoppers could be ready to jump ship after a single bad experience. Also, showing respect is just a great thing to practice. Give respect, get respect. That is just how it really works. I do not make the principles.
Your team will learn out of your actions. So, treating people right really starts at the highest of your organization.
Integrity builds trust
We want to maintain integrity with everyone we work with. That is it. That is all I actually have to say about that. Alright, don’t pull my leg — I actually have plenty more to say about this. But to be temporary, integrity with clients (and everybody) says more for you than the work you do. It establishes trust but not the I-trust-my-mechanic-because-he-has-skills-that-I-don’t-have type of trust. It’s more just like the I’d-let-this-mechanic-build-a-car-for-my-sixteen-year-old’s-first-car type of trust we aim for. My kids are only nine and ten, so I actually have a while to worry about that.
The point is, your clients need to find a way to trust you after they usually are not watching. In reality, 96% of shoppers say great service builds trust. I’ve encouraged my team to be comfortable admitting when something is not working with the client’s project. Tell them you are struggling. Allow them to know what is going on on, good and bad so that they haven’t got to discover. The beautiful thing about people is that almost all of the time, we listen. And when you’re open and honest with clients, they’ll know they will take your word even in tough situations.
Related: 3 Easy Ways to Use Trust and Transparency to Foster Long-Term Success for Your Business
Urgency, because no one likes to wait
Seriously — customers have gotten increasingly impatient in recent times. So, we should always act with urgency on projects for our clients. It’s easy to put things off because “it is not well worth the time or money.” But we cannot view our clients that way. I can hear you again (I needs to be a psychic!). Time is money — that is true, and I would not want any of you hard-working people on the market wasting your time. Nevertheless, take into consideration an experience where you waited for a small service or project to get done and also you had the thought, “This might be a small project for them, so I’m probably not top of mind.” Has anyone else ever felt that? If it’s just me, then I actually have greater problems to determine.
Anyway, this goes back to what I stated earlier: People will remember how they were treated. Should you’re treating your clients or customers like their problem is not vital enough on your attention — an email, a gathering, a callback and so forth — you may only hope the work is so good that they’re going to say, “That was well worth the wait!” Otherwise, you might have lost any probability of repeat business.
After all, all of us face various situations with some being more complicated than others. How way more do you’re feeling like reading? Because I could tell some stories about tough situations! And I have been told that things change with more age and experience (but I’m a vampire, and I do not age — so there’s that). Here’s the thing: I’ve witnessed the ways some leaders select to cope with clients. I have been within the room with folks who explain how they prioritize projects based on size or prestige, and possibly I’m only a soft pile of mush, but I at all times take into consideration being on the receiving end of that form of treatment. Yes, I actually have actually been on that end. It stinks. Let’s collectively try not to stink.
After we don’t stink, we are able to grow and profit, and the individuals are all comfortable, and a latest circle of business begins! It’s great! In the subsequent couple of days after you have read this and aren’t any longer irritated by my pro-customer mindset (I can speak directly to your team for more suggestions when you’d like?), I’d love to hear how your perspective changes or how you may handle a pressing situation. When it’s throughout, the top goal is for us to have comfortable clients and a comfortable bottom line.
Related: How to Keep Your Customers Blissful (Even If They’re Fallacious)