Technology can be a powerful tool to improve your client relations and deliver exceptional service. In this article, you will learn some ways to use technology to enhance client experiences and increase satisfaction, loyalty, and referrals. Whether you are a consultant, a coach, a freelancer, or a small business owner, you can apply these tips to your own context and goals.
One of the most basic ways to use technology to enhance client experiences is to communicate and collaborate with them through online platforms. You can use email, chat, video calls, or project management tools to keep them updated, answer their questions, share feedback, and work on deliverables. Online platforms can also help you create a sense of community and engagement among your clients, especially if you offer group programs or services. You can use forums, social media, webinars, or online courses to provide value, support, and interaction.
One thing that I'll emphasize on the most is, use different ways of technology for different mode of communication. Use emails to send them reports, use video calls to enhance engagement, use project management tools to get them aware about the progress and use a social platform for consistent communication. It'll present you as professional and will increase your credibility.
Often times, due to dialects, accents or unfamiliar nouns, people don't get the exact information heard and due to this gap, many opportunities get lost or efforts get wasted trying to find out. One of the ways to bridge this gap is to request clients to share the noun (company name, brand name, product name, initiative/campaign name) over chat to also help keep you in track of what/who/when to follow up to make progress
Another way to use technology to enhance client experiences is to automate and personalize your processes. You can use tools like CRM (customer relationship management) software, email marketing, or chatbots to streamline your workflows, save time, and provide a consistent and customized service. For example, you can use CRM software to track your client's history, preferences, and feedback, and use that data to tailor your offers, messages, and solutions. You can also use email marketing to send automated and personalized emails to welcome, nurture, and follow up with your clients. You can also use chatbots to provide instant and relevant answers to your client's queries or requests.
The most important word here 'personalize.' What I learned, is that it doesn`t mean how good your communication is: fast answered, well written and other when you simply use tools that client don`t or don`t like. For example, you have e-mail pointed as a main to communicate and support but your client prefers to use Messenger, for example. And believe me, nothing works better than delivering information through it. This all just psychology - our brains love to work with things it used to. So, me recommendation in such cases - use tools your client prefers and achieve more feedback with doing less.
Based on my experiences (both established and early startups), small companies are either not willing to invest in CRM tools early on or they haven't found the right employees to entrust CRM tools with. It is up to the employees to demonstrate the most sought-after and highly taken for granted skill, "being detail-oriented". Once you got the tracking locked in and got used to (personalized the process), then when the workload gets bigger, you can ask your direct line of contact in organization to provide you tools to manage this worked. Why would this generally work? You got your personalized process implemented. There is a higher likelihood you will be entrusted with it!
A third way to use technology to enhance client experiences is to use data and analytics to measure and improve your performance and outcomes. You can use tools like surveys, feedback forms, testimonials, or analytics software to collect and analyze data about your client's needs, expectations, satisfaction, and results. You can use this data to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and make informed decisions to improve your service quality, value proposition, and differentiation. You can also use this data to demonstrate your impact and credibility to your clients and potential clients.
We can be wrongly misguided by our mission to make our companies better when we disbelieve/ignore the data that comes in. In order to make effective use of data and analytics, one also has to be equipped to make personalized inferences "at the spur of moment". A skill that is very hard to learn, takes a long time, is subtle, but it manifests in wonderful ways without you ever having to submit proposals/email invitations to prove it.
A fourth way to use technology to enhance client experiences is to use creative and interactive media to showcase and educate your clients. You can use tools like blogs, podcasts, videos, infographics, or ebooks to create and share valuable and engaging content that showcases your expertise, showcases your client's success stories, or educates your clients on relevant topics. You can also use tools like quizzes, polls, games, or simulations to make your content more interactive and fun. Creative and interactive media can help you attract, retain, and delight your clients, as well as increase your visibility and authority in your niche.
A lot of audience members (myself included) was unaware of these emerging new interactive tools. While everybody was interacting at a fast pace, I was learning the ropes of their UI/UX MID-SESSION. If you are somebody who wants to implement this but doesn't know how or you have been a part of the audience and don't know how to keep up to speed, learn the ropes behind these creative and interactive media. Somebody who has always been conservative with new technology, I am confidently saying, "there is no shame and it is not too late to learn......."
A fifth way to use technology to enhance client experiences is to use innovative and emerging technologies to differentiate and delight your clients. You can use tools like VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), AI (artificial intelligence), or blockchain to create and deliver unique and memorable experiences that wow your clients and set you apart from your competitors. For example, you can use VR or AR to create immersive and realistic scenarios that simulate your client's challenges or goals, and help them visualize and achieve their desired outcomes. You can also use AI or blockchain to create and deliver smart and secure solutions that optimize your client's performance and results.
One of the most profound experiences I faced was how far the limits of my former company's products could be stretched. It blew my mind when a digital product (video streaming) could help clients to visualize pipeline schematics (underwater, mind you) using AI and 360-degree video features (an alternative to 3D rendering). It doesn't matter whether we win the deals/wow the clients. What matters is realizing your product's/brand's potential and how we personalize the communication to the client side without getting into the boring technicalities
A sixth and final way to use technology to enhance client experiences is to keep learning and adapting to your client's needs and expectations. Technology is constantly evolving and changing, and so are your clients. You need to stay on top of the latest trends, tools, and best practices, and experiment with new and innovative ways to use technology to serve your clients better. You also need to solicit and act on your client's feedback, and adjust your strategies and tactics accordingly. By keeping learning and adapting, you can ensure that you are always providing relevant, valuable, and exceptional service to your clients.