Do You 'Make a Sale' or 'Provide an Experience'?

Do You 'Make a Sale' or 'Provide an Experience'?
You ordered a glass of wine and two bottles of water. The
bill came to US $40. Are you shocked? Horrified?

I recently came across a receipt from my trip to Italy last
year and, rather than cringe in pain when seeing that
receipt again, I smiled at the instant memory of the
experience which it generated. It was one of the few nice
days we had and I was sitting with my uncle and mother at
an outside table in the center of Piazza Navona (Navona
Square) in Rome watching local artists selling their works
and people milling about.

Why did I smile rather than cringe? It was the
"experience". I was immediately brought back to the
people, the chatting, the smells, the feel of the warm sun
on a winter's day, the sound of the Fountain of Four Rivers
-- all of it, generated off a receipt for wine and bottled
water.

Now I want you to stop and think for a moment. What type
of *experience* do you/your business leave your clients
with?

Are they happy they did business with you? Are they
frustrated? Did you answer the phone with a smile? Are
your emails friendly or clipped?

In this age of technology-driven companies and recorded
receptionists, are you providing your clients with a
personal touch? It's the personal touch, the feeling that
they are special to you and your business that will bring
them back again and again.

With the Internet, clients (and customers) today are
extremely fickle. They can quickly and easily "Google"
another company that provides similar goods and services.
You need to create an iron cage around your clients -- and
you do that by creating loyalty. You should be the *only*
virtual assistant or consultant or pizza company that they
think of when needing your services.

You create loyalty by consistenly providing your clients
with a positive experience.

Let's go over that one more time: "You create loyalty by
CONSISTENTLY providing your clients with a POSITIVE
EXPERIENCE."

Now before you dismiss all of this and say "I can't do
this, my business is different!", let's discuss some ways
you can create loyalty through positive experiences.

1. Care about your client.

My husband and I went on a Celebrity cruise to Alaska with
another couple a few years ago. It was the most amazing
trip of my life. If you ask my hubby about the trip, he
immediately focuses on two things: the glaciers (a little
hard to beat those) and our waiter, Sanchez. Sanchez was,
by far, the best waiter we have EVER had. He remembered
all of our names, our likes, our dislikes, our quirky
requests, everything -- and this was after one dinner.

We felt truly cared about. And how he added to our
experience was reflected in the end-of-cruise tip he
received -- five times the recommended amount. :-)

Similarly, there was a local used car dealership which
prided itself on caring about its customers. They even
offered free, no-appointment-needed oil changes for as long
as you owned your car and free loaners whenever your car
needed repairs. One of their salesmen lived up the street
from me and whenever I needed work done, he would swing by
in the morning and drop off a loaner and bring my car back
that night -- fixed and ready to go (including a wash and
vacuuming). He didn't get paid any extra and he wasn't
even "my" salesman. He, and everyone else at that
dealership, prided themselves on the total customer
experience.

The result -- my husband and I told everyone we know how
great they were and, within the course of 2 years, 16
people we referred there purchased vehicles. Not including
my parents who originally referred us and bought two there
themselves. Then they changed ownership and service was
never the same -- the company quickly went out of business.
Care about your clients and they will care about you.

2. Personalize your approach.

I have a client who is very relaxed in nature. She loves
to laugh and joke and have a good time. I have another who
is very formal and serious. I enjoy working with both of
these clients and personalize how I work with them so they
remain in their comfort zone while working with me.

I also do A LOT of reading and clip out and send things of
interest to each of my clients as I come across them. It's
not always about business, as a result of working together,
I've learned their personal interests and send them things
related to what they care about.

3. Keep in touch.

In addition to my ezine and regular coaching sessions, I
"touch" my clients, past clients and prospective clients,
at least six times each year. Each "touch" gives them
something positive -- whether it be holiday wishes, a
discount on a new product or a gift -- and reminds them
that I am here if they need me.

4. Thank them.

As simple as this sounds, many businesses forget to thank
their clients for doing business with them. Your clients
have a choice -- they CAN go elsewhere. Thank them for
doing business with you. Thank them personally, thank them
in writing, thank them with discount coupons. . .just THANK
THEM!

5. Be generous.

If you have a client who is currently going through some
tough times, do something to let them know that you care
and will stick by them during this time. Whether you
extend your invoice terms, offer them a discounted rate or
otherwise "help" them during their time of need, they will
remember it. It's human nature to want to do something
good for someone when they have done something good for us
-- let them "do something good for you" by being a loyal
customer.

These are just a few ways that you can give your clients a
positive experience when dealing with you and your
business. Have staff? If so, you'll want to ingrain this
in every one of them -- from the receptionist to the
shipping clerk.

What can you do today to insure a positive client
experience?

----------------------------------------------------
Online Business Success Coach & Entrepreneur, Sandra
Martini teaches small business owners how to create more
success in their business while maintaining their sanity
and having fun. For more information and to receive the
FREE special report, ?7 Wealth-Building Secrets of
Successful Entrepreneurs?, go to
http://www.online-biz-coach.com .