Transform Your Business with Stellar Customer Experience
Rethinking Client Experience: Where Most Go Wrong
Amy kicked off the conversation, eager to get to the heart of the matter: what's holding us back from providing the best client experience? Kassie noted that many entrepreneurs get bogged down in daily tasks and processes, often failing to consider the client's perspective. By focusing too intently on relieving personal workloads, business owners may unwittingly make their services feel robotic and impersonal.
Kassie emphasized that the secret lies in reaching "the end of the sentence," or fully considering what each action feels like from the client's viewpoint. This shift in perspective can turn automated processes from robotic to refreshingly helpful, boosting client retention and satisfaction.
Taking the First Step: Automation and Systems
Kassie identified two types of business owners: those without any automation in place and those drowning in tasks but hesitating to add more clients. The solution for both is to implement effective systems. For the latter group, automation is often the most urgent need. Kassie recommends starting with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system.
"I always say, like, do you need a VA (Virtual Assistant) or do you need a system?" Kassie explained. Systems can handle many tasks automatically, freeing up time and reducing stress. The first step is always to write out what you want your client experience to look like, from inquiry to off-boarding.
The Power of Personalized Touchpoints
Both Amy and Kassie underscored the power of personalized touchpoints. Kassie shared how small gestures, like sending a Starbucks gift code to brides on their wedding day, can create a lasting impact. Such automated but personalized gestures make clients feel valued and appreciated, paving the way for better retention and referrals.
Amy echoed this sentiment, explaining how she asks her clients for their business anniversary dates and sends them a birthday present. These small, thoughtful gestures embed you in your clients' memories and ensure you stay top-of-mind.
Improving Client Experience During the Engagement
How can you enhance the client experience during the service period without compromising your boundaries? Kassie’s answer: automate—and communicate. Setting up automated emails tailored to the client's journey shows you're engaged and considerate.
The key is to offer value without always trying to sell something. Perhaps send a helpful tip relevant to where they are in their journey or a monthly check-in that anticipates their needs. Kassie asserts, “Stop only emailing them when you want their money.” Connecting with clients during their journey, with no monetary ask, demonstrates genuine care.
Revamping Your Offboarding Process
Offboarding is an often overlooked yet crucial stage in the client experience. Kassie admits she recently revisited her own offboarding processes to continuously nurture clients even after the service is rendered. Moving clients to an email list where you can keep them engaged with useful tips or anniversary reminders is one tactic.
Moreover, providing post-service support, such as automated check-ins or how-to guides, ensures clients can effectively use your product or service. This continued attention can lead to glowing referrals and possibly future engagements.
The CEO’s Role: Continuous Improvement
Amy highlighted how the role of a CEO encompasses periodically reassessing workflows, systems, and automation to identify opportunities for improvement. By doing so, you ensure your business remains efficient and client-focused. These intentional pauses not only enhance customer experience but also align your business with your personal and professional goals.
Kassie added, “What do [clients] want out of their business?” It's not just about the monetary gains but ensuring their business aligns with their personal motivations. By treating yourself like your own client, you gain insights into how to improve your own systems and client interactions.
Conclusion: Actionable Steps for Your Business
To wrap up, Kassie’s insights provide actionable steps for any business owner looking to improve their client experience:
1. Implement Systems and Automations:Start writing out your ideal client journey and automate wherever possible.
2. Personalize Client Interactions: Small, thoughtful gestures can make a significant impact.
3. Communicate and Provide Value: Engage with clients without always trying to sell, and offer genuine support.
4. Revamp Offboarding Processes: Continue to nurture clients even after the service is completed.
5. Continuous Assessment:Periodically revisit and refine your workflows and systems.
By focusing on these elements, you can transform your client experience, foster lasting relationships, and drive business growth. For more insights, join Kassie O’Driscoll’s world via her website or social media.
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Transcript for Episode 335. A Simple Way to Make More Sales
Amy [00:00:04]:
There is a secret to increasing your sales that nobody talks about. What is it? It is customer experience, my friends. And in today's episode, I am joined by Cassie O'Driscoll. She is an OBM online business manager that is here to help us demystify this whole client experience. Experience onboarding, off boarding, how we can really make it the best experience to attract those retentions, to get those referrals, and to grow our business without the heavy lifting and just draining effort that comes along with social media. So, Cassie, I am super excited to have you here today. I would love to know, what are we doing wrong 99% of the time that we're not giving our clients the best experience?
Kassie [00:01:06]:
That's a great question. And also, like, thank you for having me. I'm super excited to talk about this. This is my bread and butter. So I think that what we're doing wrong is that we get so bogged down in our daily tasks and, like, how we can relieve things from ourselves that we don't think about how it feels to be on the other side of that table because it is virtual. So, you know, a lot of these client experience and automations that you can do and put in place, you're not thinking, like, all the way to the end of that sentence. Like, you're really just cutting yourself short to relieve the pressure off yourself. Because we have, as entrepreneurs, a lot of times, we are the CMO, we are the CFO.
Kassie [00:01:46]:
We are, you know, we're all of these things, and we just need to, like, plug the holes, and we're like, okay, if I can just automate this, I'll be good to go. But now it starts feeling robotic. Now it starts feeling inauthentic. And if you can approach your automations and your workflows and your back end business to consider what it's like on the other side of that, you'll see a lot more retention. You'll see people. My favorite thing is when clients tell me, oh, like, I hadn't even talked to this client, and they reached out to me as if we had been talking for weeks. And I. Because you just all the way down to, like, your canned emails and how you're writing them and all those things.
Kassie [00:02:31]:
So I really just think that we need to get to the end of that sentence, to end of the rope, to see what that looks like for our clients.
Amy [00:02:39]:
Yeah. You know, it's so simple that it's complicated. You know, we forget at the end of the day that the better experience we give them, the more likely they are to be a lifetime client, to be an awesome, some referral partner. But exactly as you said, we get so inundated in the busy, in the doing that we forget about massively serving them. And it doesn't have to be complicated.
Kassie [00:03:07]:
Right.
Amy [00:03:08]:
Where do you suggest for the busy business owner that we even start?
Kassie [00:03:13]:
So there's two busy business owners. So there's one who already has automation in place, and there's one who thinks that they're so busy and they couldn't possibly take on a client, and they need a virtual assistant, but really, they just need to automate first. So, obviously, the first step for the person who has no systems is to put systems in place. Like, let's just get going to where you. I always say, like, do you need a va or do you need a system? Because it's very honestly, like, it's typically the system. First the person thinks they need a virtual assistant, but they really don't. Um, they might need it once they grow, but usually the ones that are panicking, like, the house is on fire. Do you know the, like, the meme where the little dog is sitting the house and on fire? And it's like, I'm.
Kassie [00:03:58]:
It's fine. Everything's fine.
Amy [00:03:59]:
Yay.
Kassie [00:04:00]:
That's what I feel like the person with no system looks like. You know, they're just like, oh, this is just how business ownership is. And that's not true. Um, so my very first step would to just be right out what you want it to look like. If in a perfect world, write out each step from inquiry to offboarding, how you would like to interact with each of your clients. And then for the people who already have the system in place, now we're refining. We're going into our canned emails, we're going into. I always, I call them value.
Kassie [00:04:34]:
Like, how are you showing value? For example, as a wedding photographer by trade, I send my brides a Starbucks gift code the morning of their wedding. And that's an automated message that goes to them. But for them, they're like, at 06:00 in the morning, they're getting an email from me that's all automated, but to them, they're like, she's thinking of me already, and I'm not even going to see her until 01:00 and that makes. They talk to their bridesmaids, they talk to their cousins and their sisters and their friends, and that's when you start getting into the retention in the referrals. Yeah.
Amy [00:05:09]:
Yes. Oh, my gosh, you are speaking my love language. Having systems in place is so, so essential to a business owner. And a lot of times, exactly as you said, we're so frantic in doing all of the things that we think then that we need to hire someone, but we end up finding ourselves having more work. So when you have these workflows in place written out out of your head, this allows you to have that 30,000 foot view of what's actually going on. Because if you don't know what your processes are, you won't even be able to identify those opportunities for improvement exactly as you explained it. And just those little things like you described with the Starbucks gift card, how you go above and beyond that means something. People remember that, and it seems like such a trivial little thing.
Amy [00:06:00]:
I do something similar with clients. I always ask for their business birthday. I want to know when your business birthday is because guess what? You're getting a birthday present on your business birthday for your business.
Kassie [00:06:09]:
I love that. Take a note.
Amy [00:06:12]:
Absolutely. But it's just such a small little gesture that keeps you top of mind. And I think it's, we're always trying to think of these big, elaborate things.
Kassie [00:06:24]:
Right.
Amy [00:06:24]:
It's the little things, I think, that make the biggest impact.
Kassie [00:06:30]:
Well, and I think that there's just ways, too, that they're, they're cohesive with your back end and your client experience. So another example is you have affiliate links. Like you have, I have makeup artists, friends and clients who have relationships with hair extension companies and, you know, just beauty industry things, offering them your discount code. Like, it doesn't cost you anything. You actually get kickback from it. Like take advantage of those things. Like as an online business manager, obviously I have affiliate codes with Dubsado and Trello and these organizations that now I can share that with my clients, and it costs me nothing. I actually get paid to do that.
Kassie [00:07:16]:
And they feel so, they're like, oh, this is great. I get a discount. Like, it's just, it's so mutually beneficial that it's, I think it's so easily overlooked as a way to pour into your clients.
Amy [00:07:28]:
Yeah. What other suggestions can you give? Just some ideas of how we can improve that overall client experience. So let's start with the onboarding process.
Kassie [00:07:39]:
So for onboarding, I'm, I'm an over communicator. So when I'm onboarding, I want to know all the things, like we're, we're talking about, like how you like to spend your weekends. We're talking because my goal is to like what your pain points are. Anything. Yeah, my goal is to get you back to the things that you love. Right. So I'm going to continue on with the, the bride example. When I onboard a bride, you just want to make sure that, um, they plan one wedding.
Kassie [00:08:09]:
You're in this industry all the time. So I have a little guide of, like, for a perfect day for a wedding photographer, this is what it would look like. So as an online business manager, I do the same thing. So you can kind of replicate. It doesn't really matter what industry, because if you can solve the pain points from the jump, they're going to see the value in you immediately. So if a client comes to me and they're like, I am just inundated with XYZ, I'm like, here's a freebie that I have, like, start here. Let me know how this goes. And typically they're like, I don't have to pay for this.
Kassie [00:08:42]:
You're giving me. And they feel like it's free. It's something I created months ago, if not years ago, and it's so valuable to them and cost me nothing but my time a month ago or whatever.
Amy [00:08:53]:
Right, right, exactly. And it gives them that quick win because you're seeking to serve, not sell. So then you're still staying top of mind. You've given them that win. So that makes sense. Why then they'd be, like, almost bought into you before they've even spent a dime. Because if she's willing to give me this for free, oh, my gosh, I can't imagine what it would be like to actually be in her world and work with her.
Kassie [00:09:18]:
Right? And I think that whenever you, you know, we've talked about this offline a little bit, but when you get into the social media of it all and when you get into trying to weed through, I call it the smoke and mirrors. Like, I I. It's. Everything's a sales pitch. Everybody's selling, selling, selling. And imagine yourself going to buy something and somebody just, like, showing you their value. Like, just, this is what I can do for you. And I'm not going to charge you for, like, and I'm not suggesting that you should work for free.
Kassie [00:09:45]:
Like, don't get me wrong, but there are things that you can do that are valuable to your clients that cost you nothing, and that can just really change the trajectory of how you're perceived in the market that you're in. And all of our markets are saturated, but there's space for everybody. But the way you're going to differentiate yourself is to show your value pretty quickly and do it authentically.
Amy [00:10:08]:
Yeah, spot on. And really having that clear understanding of your ideal client. Okay, who are you best serving? Like, who are you the best fit for? And use that information to create something that they need? What's step one in your process? Can you create something that will give them that quick win, give them that value? So now they're seeing, oh, my gosh, this is incredible. Such awesome information. Cassie, what about during the client work? You know, while you're working with a client, what are some opportunities for improving the client experience, but without working 24/7 without, you know, sacrificing all boundaries and being at their beck and call 24/7 because that's kind of the paradigm a lot of business owners get in. They want to serve, they want to deliver. Yet where does that boundary exist?
Kassie [00:11:02]:
Okay, so automate, automate, automate, first of all, and my. So that's my first thing is if you don't have an automated CRM, like, you're. You're behind. You're behind, period. Um, and my second most, like, fruitful tip I think I could give anybody is to stop only emailing them when you want their money.
Amy [00:11:23]:
Yes. Thank you.
Kassie [00:11:24]:
So, like, I. I want you to start sending them emails that are helpful to them. They don't have to have anything free, nothing. They are just value emails that you're like. So in any industry, there's usually some type of cadence. So when a client gets to this point in the process, what are they typically thinking through? I want you to think about that milestone, and then a month before that, send them an email that's like, hey, this is about to come up for you because you can. You can anticipate it because you do it all the time. So as you anticipate what they're about to run into, you're going to say, hey, I know this is coming up.
Kassie [00:12:04]:
Here are some tips. Um, or I'm just thinking about you. I'm here if you need me. Like, you are sending them an email that's automated. You're not. You're not sitting behind your computer, like, beep, boop, beep, boop, on your. On your desktop. You know, you're just automating that.
Kassie [00:12:20]:
You're setting it and you're forgetting it, but they don't know that. And they're like, oh, my gosh. Like, she thought of me and she didn't want my money and she wasn't upselling me and she wasn't doing this. It was just like, this is how it's working. And this is great. And I think so during just not only chasing the next dollar, I think is so important. And nurturing them through their process.
Amy [00:12:43]:
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Automate. Automate. Automy. I am such a fan of that because, yes, it's a little bit of work up front, but it saves you so much time and energy. And you do not need to be a tech guru in order to automate. And I think that's a common misconception.
Amy [00:13:01]:
We hear automate and we're like, but I'm not techie. That's a lot of work. I need to hire somebody to do that. No, you don't. It's your friend Google. Your friend YouTube. You know, there's videos out there showing you how to automate anything. If you have questions, like, literally start by googling it.
Amy [00:13:17]:
See if there's an automation available.
Kassie [00:13:19]:
There's so many free and affordable resources to DIy the process if you're not at the point to be able to hire out. So, like, definitely don't underestimate the power of, like, online freebies and online, like you said, like YouTube channels. Like, if you have. If the only thing that you do have to give is your time, you can learn so much.
Amy [00:13:39]:
Exactly. Just have to be willing to learn. Yes, it is a little investment of time, but it will save you time when you take the time intentionally to set these up and then moving into. How can we improve that? A client experience after. After the service has been provided, after the product has been purchased, how can we really improve that, that end game? Because I think this is where a lot of times as business owners, we fall off.
Kassie [00:14:10]:
And I will say that I am guilty of the fall off. So I have just recently revisited my own client experience and workflow because I think it is really important. And it's like this. I've been consuming a lot of information recently to just, like, tighten up. You know, it's halfway through the year, and I realized that I was really lacking part of my off boarding because I send them like a thank you, ask for review, but I wasn't nurturing them at all in the off boarding process. So I think the best place to start is to see what it's like. You know, once you give them the product or the service, do they know how to use it? Can you offer them more of these canned emails that say, maybe it's for four weeks post offboarding? They think that their hands have been wiped clean and they're done working with you. What if they got an email once a week that was like, hey, I know we just implemented x.
Kassie [00:15:03]:
Have you checked in on this or have you watched this loom video that I sent you to teach you how to use your own systems or how to use this service? And then the biggest thing I think for like in person servicing. So we're talking our hairstylist and our makeup artists and things like that, moving them over to your email list, like you said, their birthdays, you know, touching base with them to be like, hey, or wedding photography. I know your anniversary is coming up. You know, here's my tips on what outfits to wear for your first anniversary. Or like here's, you know, these are all things that you can use AI for and Google and you know, they have the traditional and the untraditional anniversary gifts. So maybe you're sending them a guide that teaches them about that. Like, but just it, you know, honestly, like being thought of goes so far. When somebody feels thought of, they're immediately going to say, hmm, like I think I might tell my, my friend about her or my business partner because they just feel nurtured.
Kassie [00:16:09]:
And that goes so far, especially in such a digital world.
Amy [00:16:13]:
It really does because at the end of the day, we all just have the same core desires. We want to feel seen, we want to feel valued, we want to feel loved. And these little touch points really do make people feel that way, feel valued. You know, put yourself in their position. Like, how cool is it to get that little surprise and delight? I mean, it makes your day. And what do you do then? You tell your friends, you share it out. You're like, oh my gosh, this is so cool. And it doesn't have to be anything extensive, but something that you said is like, you know what, I'm taking the time right now to revisit my own client, my own customer experiences.
Amy [00:16:53]:
And that is such a crucial, crucial piece of the puzzle that as business owners, we need to be revisiting these. We need to be looking at our workflows, we need to be looking at our systems, our automations. That's what truly defines, like our role as the CEO of our business, taking the time to treat our business like a business, seeking out those opportunities for improvement. Because if we're just stuck in the mundane doing all of the time, eventually there's going to be gaps. Take these intentional pauses. We can really, really improve the client experience to increase our sales and increase our bottom line, right?
Kassie [00:17:38]:
And for me, and a lot of my motivation, and the motivation I go in for my clients is, um, what do they want out of their business, and I don't mean monetarily. I. Are you looking for freedom to travel? Are you looking for more time with your kids? Do you want to buy property? Like, what? Why are we here? Because as small business owners, there's a reason we decided to go down the entrepreneurship rabbit hole. And there's a reason and motivation behind all of that. So by revisiting my systems, it's also opened up. Like, am I working towards the end game like you? And not just the end game with my clients, but the end game for myself. Like, yeah, I just. Treating yourself like your own client a little bit, too, because you're an expert in your field, like, what are you doing for yourself that you do for everybody else has been a big, you know, kind of crack your mind open, and you're like, wow.
Kassie [00:18:33]:
Like, the things that are available to me and the things that I can offer to myself can also be, like, just as fulfilling and just as rewarding in the client experience. Because now you're set up to nurture everybody else and to do all the other things.
Amy [00:18:49]:
Oh, my gosh. This was amazing information, Cassie. Seriously, so many just nuggets of wisdom and things that we often overlook. So if you're listening to this episode, go and implement. Take what you've learned, block time off on your schedule, review your own processes, and start to test different things. Fill those gaps to improve your customer experience. Because what will happen is those relationships, retentions, and referrals will deepen, and then you'll be able to have even more freedom within your business. Cassie, how can we get into your world and learn more about you and the amazing services that you offer?
Kassie [00:19:34]:
So you can find me online on my website at kassielaine. That's kassielayne.com dot. You can also find me on social at the Sameassie lane. And I am also the co founder of the escape conference. And we have a goal planning retreat, which is all. There's a system audit involved in that. There's. We are.
Kassie [00:19:55]:
We're building everything out coming up in October. So October 11 through the 14th.
Amy [00:20:00]:
Amazing. So go to her website, check that out. Follow her on social media. Cassie, you are a wealth of information. Thank you so much for providing so much value to listeners today.
Kassie [00:20:12]:
Thanks for having me. This was fun. I love talking about this.
Amy [00:20:16]:
Yes, me too. And until next time, cheers to making the money you want so you can create the impact you desire to.
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