You may not know this about me…
But I’m a learning junkie.
Going into business for myself gave me the perfect excuse to go on a buying bonanza when it came to products, programs, software, e-books, and coaching.
I’ve gone above and beyond when it comes to learning what my clients need to build a successful business.
But it’s also given me some really interesting experiences as a “customer”.
That’s what I want to talk to you about today.
What do your clients experience when they buy something from you?
Do they feel welcomed and appreciated? Or do they feel confused and dejected?
Let me give you an example from my own experience.
A while back I joined two coaching programs in the same week. (Yes, you read that right–two programs at once–yikes!)
They both involved a one-on-one strategy session to enroll me.
They both are in the same price range.
They both include one-on-one coaching calls.
In both instances, I was pre-sold before we even had the conversation and I knew they were programs that I wanted to do.
In other words, the offerings are very similar, the only difference is in what they’re teaching.
Program A:
We had our call, I agreed to join.
They followed up with me every day until I signed their agreement and paid them.
Then….crickets.
A week passed and I didn’t hear from them.
I had to contact them to ask about scheduling my coaching sessions.
Program B:
We had our call, I agreed to join.
They followed up with me on the agreed date and I sent them payment.
Upon payment I received a personal note from their assistant letting me know the payment was processed and that I would hear from them soon.
Within a few minutes I received an email welcoming me to the program and giving me an outline of everything I get as a client and the login details for the training site.
Later, that same day, I received another email with the links to schedule my coaching sessions.
Two very similar programs and offerings.
Two very different experiences.
With Program A, after I paid them and didn’t hear back, I was left wondering…
Do they even want to work with me?
Is this the right program for me?
Should I just cancel?
Now, let me be clear…once the coaching got rolling, it was GREAT. They were AWESOME. I LOVED working with them.
Their welcome process was in NO WAY a reflection of how amazing they are and what a great coach they are and I knew that would be the case.
With Program B, right from the start, I felt welcomed. I felt like I was important to them. I felt safe.
They were one step ahead of me in the process and I felt taken care of.
I’ll ask you again…what do your clients experience when they work with you?
It’s a question I’m asking myself too.
But in 3 simple steps you can turn the whole process around and make every client feel special, reduce resistance and never experience buyer’s remorse!
Here’s what you need to make sure your clients feel welcomed and appreciated from the very beginning. I’m going to give you the basic version and then an upgrade you can do when you’re ready 🙂
Thank-You Page
As soon as they buy, they should be taken to a thank you page. This can be a super simple page on your website. The main purpose of this page is to thank them for their purchase and give the next steps.
It should also tell them how to get help or ask questions and let them know what the next steps are (if there are any).
Be sure to have a system in place for this. It can be a simple as a support@yourdomain.com inbox that you or your assistant check once a day. Or it can be a help desk with FAQ’s that your team manages.
Regardless of how you do it, here is why you need to:
I recently purchased a program (yes, another one, lol) and one of the components is a Facebook Group. They have sent me 3 emails telling me to make sure I join the Facebook Group. I have replied 3 times, letting them know that there is a problem with the link to the Group and I can’t join. No one has responded.
There will always be tech glitches. People will make mistakes, stuff will blow up, things go wrong. That’s a fact. Have a system in place to take care of people when they do.
Upgrade: Add a welcome video. The video itself doesn’t have to be fancy, the content can be the same as the text on the page. But it’s so much warmer and welcoming to see you and hear your voice!
Welcome Email
Send them a welcome email as soon as they purchase.
This email expands on the information in the thank-you page. You can go more in-depth in this email and lay out everything they will get as well as more detailed instructions. Include any dates, links, access information, etc that they will need.
The best way to do this is through a shopping cart system. That way, whether they buy at 2am or while you’re away at a conference, it doesn’t fall thru the cracks. I’ve worked with people who believe strongly in the personal touch and don’t like the idea of automating something like this. But believe me, the automated touch is much better than no touch. And the personal touch falls by the way side when your inbox is overflowing or you’re sick with the flu.
Upgrade: A welcome phone call. This could be a quick call from you or someone on your team. So few people do this! You will stand out and your clients will feel so special.
Follow Up
Create a follow up sequence after they’ve purchased.
The number of emails and the content will depend on what you’ve sold, but the purpose of this sequence is to make sure that you have delivered everything you promised and to keep them engaged with what they purchased.
If you sold coaching sessions, set up a sequence that follows up with the scheduling links and reminders to schedule.
If you have group calls, make sure they have the dates and that there are reminder emails being sent out.
If it’s a digital product or training, send them a few emails touching base about the product and leading them to the next steps.
If it’s a membership site, send them emails bringing them back to the content on a regular basis.
Upgrade: Offer a follow up session or bonus Q&A time to help them customize or integrate what they’ve learned.
As always, start with the simplest version of each of these. Done is better than perfect. You can always upgrade the process as you grow.
And if you need help getting these systems set up in your biz, Schedule a Take It Off My Plate Session with me. We can map out how this should look for your business and how we can help.
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