I’m almost certain this is where many businesses go very wrong! You see, your clients are vital to your survival. Yes, a very obvious statement, but don’t underestimate this fact. Ever. Your clients are the only people that will ensure your business survives and thrives during the recession. Therefore...

The client experience is everything.

The client experience is critical, and should never be underestimated. Think about this for a minute... You may have invested time, effort and money in building a brand, in building a corporate profile. However, ultimately your client’s experience of your company is the brand.

If you stand for ‘great customer service’, ‘reliability’, ‘efficiency’ etc, that’s great. But... If, as a client, my first experience of dealing with your company is to have been greeted by a surly receptionist, then that now becomes your brand. Your corporate image will forever be associated with this kind of customer service.

Your brand, your image is always in the eye of the beholder, and it’s always established by your client.

You have the ability to create greater value at every interaction with a client. The key is doing it. Okay, so how?

Firstly, examine every stage of the client’s ‘experience’… That is:

• Before the sale;
• During the sale, and;
• After the sale.

Plot every step, every point of interaction from the moment someone makes an enquiry, to the moment the client receives the end result, or benefit, of your product or service. Imagine a ladder, with a series of steps: how can you add greater value to every point of interaction?

Give your clients more than they need – and more than they expect... And you will become the preferred choice.

Now, the good news is that most of your competitors don’t or won’t care about this; most wallow in mediocrity. How often have you witnessed an advertisement campaign announcing a great customer experience, and yet the end result is something very far removed? Now imagine the client thinking the same of you and your company... Now imagine the client thinking that in these times, and then going elsewhere!

One of the greatest recession-proof strategies I know of, is to optimise the client experience. Give your client more than they need, and more than they expect and you have a customer for life, in good times and bad.

Author's Bio: 

Andrew Ludlam, Director of Maverick Marketing Consultancy, is a business growth and client attraction expert. A qualified business advisor, marketing consultant and direct response copy writer, Andrew works with business owners at all levels, who want to learn the right way to market their business. Essentially Andrew works with anyone who is great at what they do, but struggling to attract more clients.

To claim a free copy of Andrew’s detailed-rich white paper “The 7 CRITICAL Marketing Mistakes Nearly Every Business Owner Makes... And What YOU Can Do To Avoid Them!” (Value £30.00) visit http://www.maverickmarketingconsultancy.co.uk/newsletter.htm and subscribe for free to the weekly Maverick Marketing Newsletter.