You see, you have an impact on your clients and in fact everyone you interact with. Whether you know it or not. Whether you see it or not, and whether you intend it or not. It’s the same impact that carries through from your marketing efforts, to your initial conversations with someone, to your follow through with a long term client relationship.

What is your single biggest impact? It is simply your integrity. Do you do what you say, when you say you will do it? Do you Honor Your Word? Let’s be honest now, we all have our reasons for being late for a meeting, or not completing a project on time, or missing a conference call. Circumstances and reasons abound. But your circumstances & reasons don’t mean anything to your clients, not really, nor to anyone else who needs to trust you, only whether they can count on you or not. It’s that simple.

There’s a rule of thumb that says “how you do anything, is how you do everything”. In fact this rule is embedded in our psyches. We unconsciously know when dealing with someone who is late or in some way breaks a promise -that we can’t completely trust them to keep future promises. We also know when someone shows respect for our time and attention, by being on time, and fulfilling on their agreements, that we can probably trust them in the future, and even outside of the context of our current interaction.

So the single most powerful client retention tool is simply to Honor Your Word. To do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. But what if on occasion, despite your best efforts, you can’t? Then notify the other party at the earliest possible moment, in advance if at all possible, and make a new promise of time/delivery and keep it. In other words, acknowledge the break down, clean it up, and move forward. Make this a day by day, moment by moment practice, and watch your practice and the strength of your relationships grow!

Seth Godin touches on this principle in his blog at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/09/time.html

Mark V Bullock

Partner / Practice Marketing Advisor

PracticeMarketingAdvisors

PracticingProfessionalsBLOG

I often speak with clients about the value of brand “consistency” in the context of customer service.

An example of the power of this rule is the success of McDonald’s. I don’t think you’d find many people that would say that McDonald’s makes great tasting food, or even that their cuisine is very healthy. So why then, if “quality” is not their main value in the marketplace, is McDonald’s so successful?

I assert it is their commitment to delivering a “consistent” customer experience over time. They can be “counted on” for a number of things in the customer’s minds; Food that always tastes the same no matter which store you buy it from. The same consistency applies to the food being served fast, and hot.

Notice then, that frequently what consumers obviously prefer is not necessarily excellent quality, great taste, or even great service from McDonald’s, but the consistency of delivery. The fact that their customers can count on that, consistency allows consumers to connect with the McDonald’s brand with first familiarity, then trust in knowing what they are going to get when they walk in the door – every time. It’s not great – but it is familiar and they can count on it. This is powerful and persuasive brand marketing at it’s best.

Question: How could you make your customer’s experience of you more consistent so that you can leverage “familiarity” & trust in your brand building?

Mark V Bullock, Partner/PMA
Practice Marketing Advisors