If you could elevate your client experience with transparency and trust, what would that mean for your business?
Would it mean…
- More dream clients in your pipeline?
- More referrals?
- Higher success rates?
Putting clients first is good for business, so here are the 3 keys to crafting an elevated client experience.
Key #1: Transparency in Your Work
Transparency in your process gives your clients the tools and information they need at the right moment, each step of the way.
This means that they are comfortable and know that they are making the right call (for THEM) when it comes to investing in your services.
It also means that they never feel like they are out in the cold, footing the bill for something they don’t fully understand, or aren’t even sure that they really needed it and wonder if they were just swept up in well-targeted marketing.
To elevate your client experience, you need to illuminate a clear path that walks them through the unique transformation you provide from the moment they bump into you on the web to 12 months down the road when you’re checking in on a happy client and the success your transformation has helped them to create.
Key #2: Smooth Client Experience
Client Experience, or CX, is the result of every interaction a customer has with your business.
Maybe you’ve heard of brand mapping, or a customer journey – it all means the same thing for 1:1 service providers: to outline your process and the steps (big and small) your client takes from beginning to end.
Taking the time to map out your process is integral to understanding and predicting each interaction and those predictions allow you to automate different aspects of CX so you can focus on being at the top of your game rather than endless admin tasks and email chasing.
Automating your CX means less room for human error like missed emails, miscommunicated boundaries and deadlines, and flying by the seat of your pants with your ever-expanding task list.
There are 5 stages of the client experience: Awareness > Consideration > Acquisition > Fulfillment > Loyalty
Within these 5 stages are steps that each client takes from beginning to end. For service providers, those steps usually look something like this:
- Lead Generation
- Appointment Booking
- Invoicing/Legal
- Onboarding
- Fulfillment
- Offboarding
- Post-Project Support
- Loyalty
Touchpoints
Within those steps are something called touchpoints. A touchpoint is each interaction that your client ever has with you, from simply glimpsing your post on social to handing over their credit card and everything in between and after.
Lead Generation
- Social Media
- Ads
- Blog
- Podcast
- Webinar
- Guest Post
- Newsletter Form
- Unsubscribe Page
- Landing Page
- Sales Page
- Category Page
- FAQs
- Terms & Conditions
- 404 Page
Appointment Booking
- Appointment Scheduler
- Login/Registration Form
- Thank You Page
Invoicing/Legal
- Invoices (Paid, Late, Late with Fee)
- Proposal Contract
Onboarding
- Welcome Page
- Client Dashboard
- Account Page
Fulfillment
- Approval Sign Off Forms
- Prep/Homework
- Homework Reminder
Offboarding
- File Handoff
- Testimonial Request
Post-Project Support
- Check-ins (2 weeks/1 month)
- Slack/Messenger
Loyalty
- Friendlies (3/6/12 months)
- Invite to ambassador program
Key #3: A Client Dashboard for Your Signature Service
One of the things that I build for my clients is a custom dashboard for their signature service clients.
A client dashboard is one way to automatically elevate your client experience and integrate all 5 stages of your client journey.
It’s an excellent, automated way to educate and set expectations with your clients, which allows you to provide a higher level of transparency in your processes.
But it doesn’t have to be custom made by a dev like me, there are free, easy to use tools that you can use to help your clients navigate working with you.
If you’re on a budget, you can create a client dashboard with Airtable, Trello, Clickup, or Notion.
Each of these tools allows you to create a repeatable system that you can tailor to your services.
Transparency & Trust Are Key
The most important thing to have when building a dashboard is that clear client journey we talked about earlier, otherwise your dashboard can turn into a messy and confusing experience instead of the easy and transparent experience you want to provide.
So take the time to outline your processes and offers, and start leveling up your client experience by going through each touchpoint and making sure it is the perfect representation of your brand.
Book a free 15-minute, no-pitch systems audit to find out exactly what you can do TODAY to be able to start offering a more premium experience to your clients.