Go to Disney World and expect magic! Travel to Rome and expect history. Go to an Apple store and expect white, clean tables and crisp technology. The common thread here? We have our expectations set up front. Here are some of the best tips to make sure that you are setting expectations correctly and consistently communicating to your clients and prospects.
Expectations are everywhere. Meeting expectations leads to good feelings. We’re comforted that what we anticipated was what we experienced. There is comfort in familiarity and when we have an expectation in our minds, we become familiar with an idea. If that idea, that reality that we are creating in our heads comes to be, we end up being happy! When we exceed expectations and it’s even better than we expected, that’s how you convert people into advocates, raving fans.
If you’re a business owner or professional that is trying to refine or even develop your client experience, this article is going to help you identify some top methods you can set expectations and deliver the very best client experiences.
Before going any further, did you know that 70% of businesses will fail? We put together an absolutely FREE guide identifying the Top 6 reasons businesses fail and give you actionable steps you can take on every one of these to make sure it’s your competition failing and not you! It’s our gift to you absolutely free and you can access it right here.
In our most recent podcast, Release The (Snappy) Kraken, featuring Greg Drozdow, we take a candid look at communication with our clients and prospects. Greg, like so many of us, is working towards providing the very best consumer experience. We encourage you to listen if you’d like to learn how he’s helping other professionals implement better, consistent, communication to their clients to deliver outstanding experiences. You can listen in here!
Tip #1: Let Everyone Know
When we know something really well, it’s easy to forget that other people might not. This happens in our businesses too! It’s very easy for us to say, hey, this is how we do things (and you can likely throw in an eye roll, duh, obviously, and so on)…the thing is, for something we are so close to, most people are not. By letting all of your clients and prospects know up front exactly what you will provide and how you will provide it you are creating a very clear roadmap. They’ll appreciate this since they won’t have to put any thought into their expectations, they are being relayed up front.
Tip #2: Remind People
Most of us are poor listeners and we’re distracted. Often, overwhelmed, rarely focused and usually doing our best to multi-task. You can be certain that most people won’t hear something you say until you say it about 5-7 times. We’ve been doing this a long time and the evidence always brings us back to the same results. If you are not consistently reminding people of the expectations and are not clear in this with your communication, often, they will either not hear you or immediately forget. Make sure your process is set up to remind people throughout the entire process on the what and how.
Tip # 3: Do exactly what you say you’re going to do…or MORE
People today are so overwhelmed by poor service, poorly set expectations and little to no communication that by simply doing as you say will you set you apart tremendously from the competition. The key is to NEVER, NEVER EVER, over promise on your expectations. We rarely use the word NEVER here in the Lab, in this instance, we do. The biggest mistake people make is not failing to set an expectation, it’s failing to keep to the expectation. Keep to your expectation and/or exceed it and you’ll have very happy clients.
Tip #4: Overcommunicate, unless your clients tell you not to
Yes, we want you to overcommunicate. That doesn’t mean that we want you to blab on. Nor does it mean we believe you should annoy your prospects or clients. What it does mean is that it’s better to start off with more than less. People will let you know if you’re too much. If they do and you tone it down, it means you heard them and listened. People like that. People will not very often tell you if you’re too little. Instead you’re much more likely to have them simply walk away because you already failed to meet an expectation that they had set in their minds.
Tip #5: Be consistent
People like things they are familiar with and consistency breeds familiarity. Why do you think so many people enjoy Starbucks or McDonalds? Familiar is comfortable and comfortable is comforting. People do business with people they like. Make people feel good by being consistent.
By following these 5 tips you’ll find yourself delivering the very best client experiences. You’ll become proficient, if not an expert at setting expectations and you’ll pave the road for a clear, repeatable, and consistent experience for your clients. By doing this you’ll step up your game, and level up your communication and deliverables for your clients and prospects.
If you’re working to develop consistency and set expectations or want to master this skill even more, we can help. Our unique 2 on 1 coaching marries the expertise of a Doctor of Psychology and mindset coach with the business savvy of a former Fortune 50 external regional sales manager. We specialize in helping entrepreneurs and professionals like you master your time, sales, and confidence, to evolve you to your greatest potential. To learn more about our coaching you can contact us here!
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