November 13, 2019
Have you ever had a client experience that went way south? Expectations weren’t met. Miscommunication made things go haywire. Somewhere along the way you and your client got on two completely separate pages. Running your own business is HARD. Client communication is one of the most underrated aspects of entrepreneurship that people overlook, yet it is the foundation for everything.
Making sure you are communicating clearly with your clients is one of the top priorities to running a successful business. It’s on us as entrepreneurs, not our clients, to make sure expectations are set way in advance, questions are answered before they’re asked, and everything is made crystal clear from the very beginning. In today’s episode, Evie and Lindsey break down 5 ways to improve your client communication so in the future you can avoid things like misunderstandings leading to unhappy clients, expectations not being met because you were on two different pages, and angry clients who demand refunds. The goal of this episode is for you to walk away with tangible tips to uplevel your communication strategy with your clients.
We’ve all seen the Facebook group horror stories about clients. Nearly every client horror story is on us, the entrepreneurs, for not communicating clearly enough. Of course there is the 1-5% of clients and people who simply can’t be pleased no matter what you do. Other than the rare occasion, it’s almost always because expectations were not communicated clearly, the contract was not gone over in depth, or the experience of working with you was not clearly explained.
Lindsey and Evie dive into 5 ways to improve your client communication and take it to the next level.
Sending a freebie immediately serves your client and sets you up as an expert right away. This also gives your client the chance to be educated about what you do and who you are from the very beginning.
Here’s an example from Lindsey: Once a potential client submits their form it redirects to a thank you page with a freebie. For example, if someone is inquiring about a photoshoot it redirects them to a thank you page with a pdf of “4 Ways to Rock Your Next Photoshoot.” Or, if someone is inquiring about a mentor session it redirects them to a thank you page with a pdf of “5 Tips on Authentic, Natural Posing.”
Set your potential client up for success and wow them before you even respond. Set this up, automate it, make the freebies, and you are good to go!
The name of the game in the creative industry is that a client is going to book the FIRST person they create a connection with. If they vibe with someone, they’re not going to wait for the other 5 people they inquired with to respond. They’re going to book the first person they connect with, period. You responding right away increases your chances of getting booked.
With that being said, you do have to set boundaries. This can look like having set work hours and listing these on your website.
The point is, respond fast. In a world where everything is instantaneous, we have to be quick. People are impatient and as entrepreneurs, we have to adapt to this.
Spoil your clients from the get-go. This makes them feel both valued and loved and gives them an elevated client experience. In addition, it shows that they are a priority to you.
For example, Lindsey uses Marigold & Grey custom created gift boxes to send to clients. Evie customizes each box to her client’s interests from what she gathered in their emails or Skype conversations. Don’t feel like a client gift has to be expensive, it may just mean sending a book or a small gift card. Even a simple gift is still thoughtful.
Keep in mind that clients will refer you to other people. If you are blowing their minds left and right in the way you are serving them, the expertise you bring to the table, and the ways you have gone above and beyond they will be so much more likely to refer you to someone else.
Love on your clients and go above and beyond for them. Serve them in every way you can possibly think of. You’re in the service industry if you are a creative entrepreneur 99% of the time, so remember to be there for them, show up for them, serve them, and love on them.
Don’t leave your clients hanging for months once they book you! Be on top of it and stay in touch. Set up automated emails to be sent out every few months until the day of the event or when the product is given. Bring your client through the whole process: check in on them, answer questions, and be up front with communication. Don’t wait for them to ask you questions. Lead them along through your experience and take the initiative to set those expectations from the beginning and never drop the communication.
Utilize a client management system to keep things organized! Lindsey and Evie both use and highly recommend Honeybook. Honeybook offers tools and opportunities to simplify your client communication process while upleveling it. You can have an entire workflow system set up in Honeybook that sends you reminders and keeps everything organized without you having to think about it!
Once a client books you, respond immediately thanking them and giving them something of value right away. For example, send them a client guide or welcome packet giving tips and tricks that set them up for success with working with you. Think through the most common questions you get asked and make sure to put that in your guide as well as anything else you want them to know. This will set you up for success from the beginning and often make your job a lot easier.
If you Skype or Facetime your clients, go over the items in your contract that you want them to know. Don’t assume they’ve read the contract in depth or know what they’re doing. Tell them up front what you do and what you don’t. For example, talk about that you don’t send the RAW files, the retainer is non-refundable, what happens if you can’t be there on the day of the event due to an emergency, etc. Talk about it all!
Go out and crush your client communication, uplevel your experience, and never experience a Facebook horror story again!
HoneyBook: share.honeybook.com/heart
In addition to a FREE 7 day trial, get 50% off your first year of HoneyBook, a $200 value!!
Curated Gift Boxes: https://marigoldgrey.com/
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WASSUP FRIENDS. We’re Evie + Lindsey, co-founders of this wild partayyy called The Heart University. Our goal is to empower entrepreneurs to kick freaking BUTT in their businesses, dive down into the heart of their why and how, and serve you with all possible tools you’ll need to up-level your business game and CRUSH those goals of yours.
Whether you’re coming to an in-person workshop, joining our online course, or soaking up all the strategies via this blog or our podcast, we’re STOKED you’re here + can’t wait to see you out there kicking butt.
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