A great mentor once asked me: "If you only
got paid based on the results your
clients get,
what would you change in your business?"
I have to admit that was a
very tough question to answer but it's
one which is really crucial to think
about
if you want to build customer loyalty
over time.
And who doesn't want to do that? Think
about it -
most businesses are not paid based on
results
and there are a variety of reasons for
that
especially if you are dealing with
people.
After all people are kind of
inconsistent.
They're not like machines and therefore
we cannot guarantee that a person will
do
what you advise them to do or even use
your product or service
properly, even if they are paying you for
that guidance.
Also people are consistently
inconsistent.
Some days they do what they should and
some days they
chuck everything to the wind and they do
whatever their whims tell them to do.
So as a result most people don't want to
be paid on results.
But what if you were? What are some of
the changes
that you would need to make in your
company
so that you could ensure high level
results
and therefore ensure high level pay?
I'm going to give you a few areas that
you could consider. First of all,  think about client
expectations.
Managing the expectations of your
product or your service
as it relates to each individual client
is
really crucial. How well do 
your clients understand what you're
going to be able to provide for them
and what you expect from them? Also
how well do you understand what they
expect from you
and your company?  If you haven't
completely spelled it out
and documented it ,you may have some
mismatched ideas
and that always leads to slower success
and sometimes a bit of grumpiness on the
part
of your new customer. The next thing is
client onboarding.
How well do you get a new client started
with your company?
Are guidelines properly set about
communication
and timelines and responsibilities? Do
they
understand how to marry your new
processes or people or service within
their existing company?
Onboarding can often be automated to
make it easy for you but it is often an
overlooked step after the thrill of the
new deal
and winning the new deal has worn off.
The next thing is timelines. Have you
determined
how long success for each client will
take
and what they should be looking for in
terms of small successes along the way?
Most clients get very antsy waiting for
that big success to come
but if you point out the small changes
that they should be looking for along
the way
they are far more likely to view success
sooner
and think you are a genius.
Of course then we have communication. Not
all clients
want the same level of communication.
Just because you like to communicate in
one way
doesn't mean they do. Do you understand
the personality style of your new client
and have you discussed what you will
communicate
and when and how. Lastly we've got
tweaking and feedback. You know sometimes
the perfect plan that you develop
and you devise to solve a new client's
problem
needs to change as conditions change.
As economies change, as situations changed,
have you discussed the possibility for
tweaks?
What kind of feedback loop is
required to determine
if those tweaks are necessary? Those are
just
five areas to focus on in order to
set yourself up and your client up for
getting
great results. Remember, your best
client is someone else's best prospect.
So, whether you get paid on results or
not.
act like you do and you will create
better communication,
a more cohesive plan and a client for
life,
It is a sure way to get clients to stay
with you forever.
In the meantime of course, Laugh a lot
and Learn a lot!
