During tax season, you had a flood of clients visiting your office, reading your e-mails, and calling you. If I were to call any one of those clients, what could they tell me about your firm? What kind of impression did you make?
Would they notice a special employee, the hospitality of your receptionist, or the comfortable seating you provided? Or will they remember the unanswered e-mail, the delay in responding to their questions, and the last minute notice of payment due? Were there flowers in your lobby and clean restrooms?
Now that the frenzy has passed, you have an opportunity to take a new look at the customer experience you offer. It starts with the voice that answers the phone and goes from there. It can be impacted by the lighting you choose and the messages you provide on your website. Did you remember to return the flash drive they provided with their QuickBook files? How quickly did you respond to their e-mails? Your clients expect you to provide timely and accurate information. But it doesn’t stop there. You need to exceed their expectations. You want your clients talking about your firm everywhere they go.
You need to offer value all year long. Provide training, information, and tools that help them succeed. Share ideas and insights and keep them connected. Invite them to lunch, share your favorite books, and get personal. Social media tools like LinkedIn and Facebook can be used to foster relationships that you have already built in person. If you aren’t making your clients feel special when they visit your office, no amount of tweeting or sharing can correct that negative first impression.
Mentor Plus has provided a myriad of tools and techniques to help you stand out from every other firm in your market. Putting tools like the $COPE Matrix, $COPE Analysis, Profit Equation Planner, or $COPE IT! Software to work for your clients will create that memorable experience.