Responding to Moments of Truth - True Stories
It’s no secret that for many years now, Pareto Systems has advocated using a regular call rotation with your best clients.
There are a variety of compelling reasons to use this inexpensive and powerful client service strategy. By calling clients, you convey your proactive approach. By calling clients when you do not have to share any specific news, you demonstrate your sincere interest in your clients. If you keep meticulous notes of these conversations, you can build huge dossiers which remind you what matters in your clients’ lives. These dossiers will never leave you stranded for things to talk about when you call.
Client Information Must Be Chronicled to Make it an Asset
We have seen far too many professionals who rely on their memories to store these client details. Although this is quite functional for some, the information you learn about your clients is not really an asset of your company until the details are documented. And make no mistake, this information is proprietary. By documenting the information in an easily accessible database, nothing slips through the cracks. You are able to invest every conversation into the next one. The Pareto Platform provides a place to record all types of client information and it ensures that your entire team has access to up-to-date details that allow them to provide consistent and personalized service.
Recognizing and Responding to Moments of Truth
Peter and Andrew are professionals who completed The Pareto System – Customized Implementation program. Peter and Andrew maintain a regimented call rotation and they always note misfortunes or milestones that are occurring in their clients’ lives. They are exceptional at the art of demonstrating to their clients that “yes, we are paying attention.” They are especially adept at identifying and responding to “moments of truth” in their clients’ lives. Moments of truth are those times when people are experiencing significant changes, challenges or celebrations – anything that is important in clients’ lives.
Two real-life examples from Peter and Andrew demonstrate the value of recognizing these moments of truth during the course of a regular call rotation.
On a quarterly call with one terrific client, Peter and Andrew learned that this client’s wife had been in the hospital for an extended stay and was now at home on bed-rest. The client admitted that he was having a difficult time.
Peter and Andrew also had a gentleman client who was a golf fanatic. Sadly, he became ill and for the last four months of his life, he was confined to the house. He became incredibly frustrated at this change in his lifestyle, which he called his “incarceration.”
Take a minute and think how you would respond to these situations. Would you have the necessary information about these clients to respond in a precise and meaningful way? Is the information documented so that in the event of your absence, your staff could respond to these situations? Peter and Andrew had detailed information on both of these clients and so were able to offer them honest, caring support during these difficult periods.
After hearing about the first couple’s misfortune, Peter and Andrew had a brainstorming session. They sent their clients the mandatory get-well card, of course – and then they went the extra mile. They hired a chef, and the chef went to the couple’s house and pre-cooked and froze a week’s worth of gourmet food. This thoughtful gesture only cost about $200, yet the value to the clients was incalculable. The husband was so grateful; he nearly broke down in tears when he called to thank Peter and Andrew.
When Peter and Andrew learned that their golf-loving client was housebound, they purchased a handheld golf game and had it sent by courier to the client’s house. He was so tickled by their thoughtfulness that he remarked to his wife: “It made my day”. After the client passed away, his wife made a point of telling Peter and Andrew that he adored that golf game, and played it incessantly; the game was a perfect distraction. The wife also made sure Peter and Andrew knew that her husband had told her to put her complete trust in them, because he was sure she would be well looked after.
Why Don’t More Professionals Deliver Service Like This?
Going the extra mile paid off for Peter and Andrew. We are surprised that more professionals don’t practice a regular call rotation and exceed expectations. Perhaps the primary reason is that such activities usually don’t provide instant gratification. Many professionals are still salespeople at heart and do not see the value/payoff. They still work with the idea that if it does not impact the next paycheck, it isn’t worth bothering with.
Money Flows from Service
Once it is understood that revenue stems from service, you have a chance to understand something even more valuable. Those in this business that enjoy substantially larger incomes do so because they deliver unexpectedly large degrees of service, and they do it on a consistent basis. The way to generate unexpected service to your best clients is to ask yourself (and them for that matter), what do they expect?
Once you’re clear on what your clients expect, you can then meet those expectations consistently. After that, you can move on to the fun part and ask “What can I do now that my clients won’t expect?” As I’m sure you’ve experienced, it’s always the unexpected service that gets talked about, and it’s always ‘getting talked about’ that increases your professional value and your revenues.