A Client State of Mind

“Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company.” – Michael LeBoeuf. When you think of the word “business,” what comes to mind? It could be something as simple as income, product or “my life’s work”. When I think about business, the first word that comes to my mind is “people.” This might be a simple answer, but focusing your efforts on “people” (a.k.a. the client) before the business (i.e. income, product) itself is always the challenge. Although business can mean many different things for you, it’s important that we focus on the first step in creating the relationship with our clients to make them feel they are our number one priority.

CLIENT FIRST MENTALITY

Putting the client first can show up in many different forms. I think we’ve all seen many examples of this, like Chick-fil-A with their classic “my pleasure” and Second Mile principle Chewy.com requesting the donation of food shipment errors rather than returning it, and DoubleTree hotels greeting you with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies in their lobbies (I admit, I’ve eaten hundreds of these cookies over the years before laying my head on a Hilton pillow). No matter what you are doing for your clients, I’ve learned doing the little things can add up and turn an ordinary experience into something that keeps them coming back. Our Chief Marketing Officer, Cara Whitley, provided some insight on Mind Your Marketing podcast into how attention to the details can make a client’s experience extraordinary. She expresses how actively listening and picking up on a client’s ques will allow you to then provide an experience that will make a client think about how you are making them feel they are a priority. Cara says, ““It’s having people make something be intentional and really being intentional where others aren’t.” In your business, think about how you can make improvements to change your mindset into a client-first one.

It’s important to keep your business accountable before, during, and after an experience with a client. We’ve all been in a situation where you want to be acknowledged. Picture yourself at a bar wanting to order a drink. You’ve been standing for quite some time without making eye contact with the bartender. If they looked your way and simply said “I’ll be with you in a minute” I’m sure you wouldn’t mind waiting. Because they didn’t look your way, your experience is anything short of extraordinary and each minute that passes adds to your frustration. A simple example but often it is the basics of customer service that can differentiate our service level.

ALWAYS BE IMPROVING

We pride ourselves on improving our client experience every day and are always looking for ways to improve on ourselves. To keep the CENTURY 21 momentum going among agents, recent clients are able to provide feedback on the performance of their agent during the buying and selling process. The Quality Service Survey (QSS) acts as a great tool for our agents to know what works for them and what doesn’t, and it can be something to showcase to potential clients. It is one of the most valuable parts of our business as it allows us to keep our focus on the customer experience and constantly be improving on the way the clients are being served.

CREATE A CELEBRATION

Deliver an experience your clients won’t forget. If you are part of CENTURY 21, you know this saying very well. Our mission is to provide the best experience for our clients no matter what. It’s built into the DNA of our brand. We want people to feel this process of buying a home is as painless as any other experience, despite it being one of the most important purchases of their lives. By making this part of our mission statement and building in solutions like our automated survey platform, our affiliates are living and breathing it daily and are reminded of what their mindset should be. Not only is it in our mission, it is built into the language of our brand showcased in our company values and the training and development of our agent base.

An example of great customer service is Simone Plush from C21 New Millennium. Simone made sure her clients were taken care of and understood each step of the process. In one important moment she was there to answer their phone call to explain an unfamiliar word to her homebuyers. Simple, right? However, that moments and each one of those touches lead to this testimonial: “She made us feel as though we were her only clients.” Think back to the bartender that looks you in the eye the second you arrive at the bar. Simone focused on the basics, never left her clients feeling abandoned and because of that she stood out to her customer.

Without your clients, your business would not be possible. Take the opportunity to differentiate yourself from others who are not focused on the customer experience. How can you make a customer feel special? From how you answer the phone, open the door or handle client meetings, I would encourage you to think through every point of the interaction. It’s the little things we can do for them that make the difference in our successes.