Referral Worthy Client Experience Tactics

Paradigm Pillar #4: External

Creating a referral worthy client experience is one of the most rewarding part of being a business owner. You likely created your business to help people, whether that be through products or services, the client experience is the WHOLE FREAKING POINT. Although the 4th Paradigm Pillar is the final pillar in this blog series, it is THE MOST important pillar for your clients. This is to say, that this pillar represents the road from a lead to a client to a transformation. Creating a client experience that is worthy of referrals is not only worth the time it takes to design, but also can be a key to long term profitability for your business.

Many online entrepreneurs are so focused on the acquisition of the client, that they forget about the experience the client has while working with them. Furthermore, there are many ways for a client to have an amazing experience with you. Truly, there is not a blueprint of how a client experience should be to be worth of referrals.

The external client pillar should be two things: easy to understand, and it should be predictable for you and the client.

How can I offer a good client experience?

Whether you are a service provider, a designer, or you own an e-commerce boutique, the experience that your client or customer has while working with you can be arrived upon in two ways:

• Through direct interaction.
• Through passive experience.

What does the external POV of client experience look like?

Direct interaction is obvious, you are spending time with your client, and their experience in the moment is the key. How does the client feel when you meet up? Are they confused about what is expected of them? Do they feel reassured when you interact that they are getting value? Do they feel comfortable providing feedback as a result of the experience?

It is your responsibility that the answer be a resounding YES to all of these questions. While you only get one chance to make a first impressions, you get SO many opportunities to ensure a positive outcome throughout the client experience.

Passive experience is what your client experiences when you are not in a direct conversation. Branding is an example of passive experience in marketing. This blog is an example of a passive experience for you, my future client. 😉

Creating a passive client experience that is referral worthy is an exceptional way to create repeat clients, start trends, and gain authority. For an e-commerce boutique, starting at the end with the client experience in mind when building your business structure and workflows.

Essential External Pillar Take Aways

1. Make the experience memorable by actually caring about the outcome of the experience.
2. Think about your client’s experience when you are not having a direct interaction (passive experience).
3. Make the client experience predictable.
   • A welcome packet that outlines expectations and communication.
   • Reminder emails for shipping, receipts, invoices.
   • An outline and summary of each session (service providers)
   • A take-away that the client can take with them after your partnership or purchase life cycle is over.
4. Be a professional. No one is expecting you to be perfect, but your client deserves the respect of your time and professionalism.
5. Think about your brand: what does your brand say about you? How is this conveyed through the client’s experience?
6. Never make assumptions about the client’s needs. Ask lots of questions, and be clear with availability for support.

Client Experience Hack

Choose a CRM that handles the referral worthy client experience for you.

There are 2 options that I LOVE for creating a centralized hub and building a client experience.

Referral Worthy Client Experiences With HoneyBook

Find out more about HONEYBOOK. For photographers, wedding professionals, event planners, florists, designers and more, HoneyBook is a great option for levelin up your client experience and creating a central zone of organization. HoneyBook is def in the hall of fame for my clients who like something straightforward, visually appealing, and easy to setup.

Using Dubsado To Generate An Automated Referral Worthy Client Experience

Ok so now we get to talk about Dubsado. As a consultant, Dubsado works for me in every sense of the word. It answers to all my needs and more importantly, my client’s needs. Creating a space of knowledge and a solid place for my clients to visit when they need help has been key in generating the kind of client experience that keeps referrals coming in. That special feature is the CLIENT PORTAL omg i love it so much.