Eat. Drink.
Make customers want YOU. Be the best in the business. Be the best in your market. Be the best at your company.
Customers initially reach out because your company has a stellar reputation. Your company provides a product or service that customers need and want. Your company has the resources and infrastructure to deliver a consistent and delicious experience. Make these customers return because of YOU. Deliver above and beyond and be the best. Make them only want YOU.
How do you become the best? By educating yourself, educating your clients, proactively communicating, following up and always, always supporting your team members to deliver excellence. You should be organized and structured. You should manage your calendar as well as your customers calendars. Be their partner, coaching and guiding them through the sales, buying and event planning processes.
Being known as best in the business doesn’t start all at once but professionalism can start on DAY ONE. Your professional brand stays with you throughout your career. It never ends. You should be building and growing every day, even if you have a bad week, month or year. It is never too late to invest in your own education and experiences to be the best. Again, make the clients want YOU.
Inspire.
I decided to get a massage in Puerto Vallarta. I love the booking & reservation process here. It is so simple and effective. Spas hang clipboards (with pens attached to a piece of white string) on their front doors so customers self-sign up for their desired slots. Each masseuse has his or her own clipboard with their name across the top and their available days and times for the week.
I wanted to try a new spa that has fantastic reviews (both Yelp and word of mouth). So, Sunday afternoon, I looked at my calendar to see my next free time to get the treatment and went to the spa’s front door to make an appointment. I was looking for Saturday at 3pm—so I scanned the eight named masseuse clipboards to see who was free. They all had availability at that time. Who was the best though? Now I had too many options.
I picked Abraham. Abraham was booked solid Monday–Friday. Not one available slot until that Saturday afternoon. He had to be the best—right? His customers were doing the speaking for him, so my decision was easy.
I had my massage two Saturdays ago. I now have a standing weekly massage with Abraham. It is not a relaxing massage. Abraham has identified areas in my back and shoulders that need a lot of work. I am now his project. He is not just a great masseuse, he is a great salesperson. He made me realize I need to work out these knots. He has educated me on how he’s going to do it and I now trust his expertise. He made me want his years of experience and now I do. He is the best masseuse I have ever had.