How do people feel when they interact with your business? Do they feel welcomed and appreciated? Do they feel like their needs are being met?

As a small business owner myself, I know how important it is to make sure our customers are happy and satisfied. I believe that customer experience is one of the most important aspects of running a successful business. When you provide a great customer experience, you create loyal customers who will keep coming back and even refer others to your business.

So today we’re going to talk about some very simple things you can do to make sure you create happy customers inside and outside of your business.

First off, let’s talk about what customer experience really means. It’s all about the way your customers feel when they interact with your business. And this starts from the first point of contact they have with your business. Whether they connect with you on social media, find you through a Google search and end up on your website because your SEO is working or are referred to you by someone on your network, the first impression sets the tone for their entire experience.

So if the first impression you leave is not a good one, you will have a hard time landing new clients and even worse you won’t have any repeat clients and you might lose the ones you already have. 

Now there are three elements you need to make a great first impression. They are customer experience, customer journey and customer service. Do you know the difference between them?

Don’t worry if you don’t because I’m about to talk about all three. 

Customer experience is how people feel after they’ve been in contact with you whether they work with you or not.

The customer journey is every single touchpoint they have with you from the moment they contact you. And this should be mapped out already because your services guide them along the path.

Customer service is the type of interaction you have with your clients and it is critical to ensuring brand loyalty one customer at a time. So it’s critical to your business’ success.

It’s important for you to understand that all three of these components work together as part of your communication system, which is one of the six core systems every small business needs. I’ve already talked about two of those six systems in previous episodes. Last week I talked about how a scheduling system will help you manage your time. And previously I talked about the importance of organizing your small business with a digital filing system so that you can find what you need when you need it.

Now back to the three main areas of your business that are impacted by the customer experience you provide:

1. Number of ideal clients you attract⁣

2. Number of happy clients you retain⁣

3. Number of new clients you get from referrals ⁣

To provide a consistent customer experience you need a streamlined process that includes automation. That will allow you to communicate clearly and quickly…which is why everything I’m talking about today is part of your communication system. 

And I’m talking about internal communication with your “Dream Team” or your employees and externally with your clients and those in your network. 

Let’s start by talking about your team. Treat them with respect. Your job as the SheEO is to inspire and motivate those you are working with. You create the culture of your business whether it’s good or bad. Clear and consistent communication is vital for your team to work together without frustration. Not to mention you want to build trust among your team members. That’s why you need a system so everyone can be on the same page. If they’re happy, they will refer people to you which helps your business grow. 

So if they are consultants, they have other clients they can refer to you when the opportunity presents itself. And if you have employees and are looking to expand your team, they will bring in other employees because they are happy working for you. But this only applies when you have fostered this positive and engaging type of environment.

And it’s very easy to do this! So what do you need? Here are some key pieces you need to build an effective communication system for your team.

* Standard operating procedures so that everyone knows how you want tasks completed

* Project management tool so that you can identify and assign tasks and deadlines 

* Instant messaging tool for collaboration and communication on a consistent basis

Now let’s talk about external communication and I’m going to mainly focus on your clients. Remember this starts when they reach out to you through your website, on social media, through a phone call or an email. 

Businesses that respond to potential customers within 1 hour of receiving an inquiry are almost 7 times more likely to have a meaningful conversation that leads to a potential sale.

That’s why you need to have a streamlined customer care system that includes these three things. 

* A way to track your leads or those new contacts

* A template you can use to respond to them quickly

* A process to keep track of where people are in your customer journey so you can follow-up with them

1. You need to track new leads and new contacts. You can use a customer relation management system (CRM) or you can use Airtable like me, Google Sheets or Trello. This is very important if you want your leads to stop falling through the cracks. This is one of the workflows already outlined inside the MY-T Society membership. It can be customized to fit every individual business. But it gives you a reference point to create your workflow and identifies automations you can implement to save you time and make sure things are consistent.

2. You also need to have response templates. No matter which platform the first touch point occurs, you can quickly customize a response template and send it out. And your response can include links to your calendar for them to schedule a call and/or links to useful resources including your podcast or your free lead magnet. Guess what? There are a number of response templates inside of the MY-T Society membership too! 

3. You also need a place to track where contacts are in their journey with you. I used to use Trello for this but now I use Airtable. Whether a lead is generated through my website, on social media, or through referral, all of their contact information is in one place for quick reference. And my workflow automation gathers their data from the intake form in my online scheduler when a call with me is booked. 

I know this sounds like a lot because it is. But you have to get the systems in place to provide the best customer experience to set your small businesses apart from everyone else. And this probably is not your strong suit or you would have systems in place already. But this is my jam! So let me help you get this off the to-do list. 

Let’s take the guesswork out of the equation, look at what you already have in place, identify the gaps and come up with a plan to create a solid foundation for your business to grow. That’s exactly what a back office assessment is for. It’s a 2 hour call on Zoom and we look at where your business is right now, where you want it to be and what systems you need to help you get there. Afterwards I will create a custom action plan to help you get your basic systems up and running. Then we will review the action plan together and talk about the options available to get your plan implemented together. 

Having the pieces of your customer care system mapped out will help you identify places where you can incorporate personal touches. That’s what customer service is all about. 

As you get to know your customers make note of their likes and dislikes, and what they’ve purchased in the past. This will make them feel valued and appreciated, and they’re more likely to be repeat customers.

Now, let me tell you a story to illustrate. I used to go to the same Starbucks every morning on the way to work and would order the same Americano with four pumps of sugar free vanilla syrup, two pumps of white chocolate syrup and two pumps of raspberry syrup. Not only did the barista remember my name but she knew what my regular drink was. Now this was before we had the mobile app and could order in advance like we do now. 

When I walked through the door she would greet me and tell me my drink would be up shortly. She would start my drink and it would be ready by the time I stood in line and paid for my coffee. This was such a small gesture but it made me feel special and appreciated and it saved me time. So I would tell everyone about my experience and they would go there to experience it for themselves. 

My point, don’t forget about the little things. The small details can really make a difference in the customer experience. So make sure you create an on-boarding process for new clients and include sending a personalized thank you note. This can go a long way in making them feel valued and appreciated.

And consistent communication with your clients is also needed. So make sure you follow up and check in on how they are doing. Schedule regular check-in calls to keep them updated on their project with you and it’s a great way to address any questions or concerns they may have. 

This shows that you care about their experience and are invested in their satisfaction. It also provides an opportunity to ask for feedback, which can help you improve and grow your business. And if they are happy, they will be eager to give you a testimonial you can use in your marketing. That way you have social proof which strengthens your brand and helps your business grow.

So, there you have it. These are my tips for providing the best customer experience both inside and outside of your small business. Remember, customer experience is about creating a relationship with your customers and making them feel valued and heard. When you do this, you create loyal customers who will stick with you for a long time and they will bring others to the party! 

Now I know with everything that’s on your plate right now that you want to automate as much as possible. And more than likely, you may have tried to do this several times before but ended up overwhelmed with the process and gave up. 

I don’t want that to happen this time. So again, let me shorten the process and the learning curve for you. Book a back office assessment so that I can map out the systems you need to focus on first in the action plan you receive. And your customer care process is always among the priority systems. That action plan can be implemented with me or you can self-implement with the resources inside of the MY-T Society membership. And if you choose to do that, you still get limited access to my strategic brain but at a lower price point. 

So go to theshannonbaker.com/assessment for more information and to book your assessment today. If you have questions about anything I’ve mentioned in this episode, shoot me a DM on Instagram @the_shannonbaker or send me an email. 

Now is a great time to get some of your basic systems in place before the summer so that you can take time off and not worry about your business. So remember to go to theshannonbaker.com/assessment and get on my calendar. 

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Links mentioned in this episode:

Episode 124 – Why You Need a Digital Filing System and How to Create One

Episode 125 – How an Online Scheduler Will Help You Manage Your Time

Check Out The MY-T Society Membership

Book Your Back Office Assessment

Let’s connect online 

Connect With Me On Instagram: @the_shannonbaker