Managing Upset vs Creating WOW
When managing a business that deals with client interaction, managing employees who are performing services for your customers, and striving to grow your business to the next level, what is needed to overcome problems as well as help you flourish? In a word, it would be “WOW”. In many ways, great service has become a lost art. Most clients and customers have come to expect a certain level of upset, or frustration. By creating a “WOW experience for your clients and customers, you can mitigate the upset and turn even “less than perfect” experiences into a lifetime client opportunity. In this article, CEO and Founder of 4 Level Coach, Randy Stanbury shares his expertise and systematic approach to business growth will help you develop a clear game plan to leave not only your customers, saying “WOW!” but even your employees — and yourself.
In a client-centered business, focused on service, you are undoubtedly managing the balance between the extremes of people being upset and feeling WOWED. What if you could take the moments of upset, and look at them as opportunities to create WOW? When you begin looking at ways to create WOW more consistently for your client base, you open up opportunities to generate more referrals and create lifetime clients. There are some key factors in a solid game plan for consistently creating “WOW” and taking your business to the next level.
Every WOW Has Three Phases
Sadly, the client’s have come to expect a certain level of “upset” from businesses in general. The key to avoiding this is to provide consistency and do what you say you’re going to do. In other words, you need to have integrity. Your deeds need to follow your words.
Every WOW has three phases, before, during and after. What are you doing to create WOW before the job starts? How are you creating an experience for the client so they feel appreciated, heard, and taken care of before you even begin?
The next phase is during. Are you seizing opportunities to create WOW during the performance of the job? Are you following procedures to ensure you’re doing what you said you would do? The odds of there being some kind of upset at some point in the “during” phase is pretty high. If one occurs, how do you take that upset and turn it into an opportunity to create a lifetime client? Are you sweating the buck, or are you looking at the value of this client and the potential they have in the future? Managing and mitigating upset is crucial to creating WOW during the job.
Finally, the last phase is how are you continuing to WOW after the job is complete? Are you following up with the customer and making sure they are completely satisfied? Are you checking to make sure you’ve listened to their needs and asked for feedback on how to improve your services the next time? Being able to WOW your clients is a multifaceted task, but breaking it down into these three phases can help you simplify your approach.
Know Who Your Clients Are
It sounds elementary, but you need to understand who your clients are. This is important in getting to WOW prior to the job starts. Are your clients seeking your services because your the best, the elite choice in the market, or are they seeking your services because you are the cost-effective option? Frankly, you shouldn’t strive to be the “cheapest” option. That’s fraught with problems. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you are worth. One of the easiest ways to get clientele that want your services based on performance is knowing what to charge and raising your prices. When you raise your prices, you eliminate people looking for a cheap option and start attracting those who are looking for the best option. Now, if you’ve been cutting corners or just doing the minimum, you need to elevate your game. This is also made easier by raising your prices. More revenue allows you to provide better service.
WOWing Your Employees
Raising your prices and charging in direct proportion to the clientele you seek, will also allow you to elevate your employees. Ultimately, your employees will be doing most of the client interactions and handling the day-to-day operations of the job. So, it only makes sense that your employees also feel WOWed. When you WOW your employees, they respond with better performance and this creates the best chance of WOWing the client during the job. So what does WOWing your team look like?
Imagine that you didn’t feel noticed, or you had valid complaints that never were addressed so you were disgruntled. Would you show up and do your best every day? What if you didn’t see the ability to grow with the company? What if even when you did a phenomenal job, it went unnoticed? Of course, you wouldn’t do your best! You would probably be wishing for — or actively seeking — other employment! These things are what you need to keep in mind when it comes to your employees. They need to feel understood, they need to feel appreciated, and they need to feel empowered. When an employee is empowered and can make certain decisions autonomously to mitigate an upset, WOW is being created for the client on the spot.
It allows the business to do what it said it would do and lets the employee know they are valued. If you, as the business owner, are always coming down with the hammer to manage the upset yourself, you are stifling the growth of your employees and creating headaches for yourself.
Are you treating them like a cost or an investment? We survey our clients for feedback, but how often do you survey your employees to find out how you’re doing for them? Thinking that you provide them with an opportunity to make a living is a short-sighted way to view your team. When your workforce feels cared for and appreciated, they show up every day to perform their best and open up the opportunity to create more WOW moments during the job performance itself.
Consistently Producing the WOW Factor
Consistency in the production of the WOW is what will set you apart and turn a one-time client into a lifetime client. There are a multitude of ways to do this however, it all stems back to systems and procedures. Without the systems and standard operating procedures to produce consistency, you will always be managing the stresses of each job as it happens. Why create such a headache for yourself? Why not simplify it?
The fact is, a lot of business owners and entrepreneurs make the mistake of being too involved in the day to day processes when in reality their time would be better served elsewhere. Bringing on a number two person who can help you with these day-to-day tasks would be extremely beneficial. Whether its bookkeeping, sales, or operations, having a number two or multiple number-twos will help shoulder the load. They can focus on the processes, while you focus on the health and growth of your business.
Another effective tactic is making sure your employee base sits at plus-one. Don’t hire for the need of the job, hire for growth. Making sure you are already in the position for upward mobility will help you level up your business in a way that will produce WOW consistently over time.
And speaking of growth, you may be wondering what the best way to measure it is? Here’s one way. Simply put the line in the sand and set a goal for your business. What do you want to accomplish by this time next year? Decide that then break down your year into quarters. Then, break those quarters into weeks. What needs to happen every week to get you to that goal in 12 months? When you take a massive goal and break it into smaller chewable bites, it won’t feel as overwhelming and it will keep you on target for the year. Operating with purpose will also allow you to create more WOW opportunities and capitalize on them.
Want even more great guidance on the game plan for maximizing the WOW in your business?
Then head over to https://4levelcoach.com/randy-stanbury/podcast/ and listen to the entire podcast where Randy and his guest Kaloutas share a wealth of tips and tactics in much more detail than those summarized in this article.
