Navigating the Cosmos of Client Experience

Table of Contents

1. “Create an experience for your client unlike anything else within their lifetime”
2. Preparation:
3. But wait, the meeting was not the first bigger touchpoint – It was the offer!
4. PDF? E-Mail? Voice note? Video? Nope.
5. My CTA? A Survey.
6. The set-up of the set-up Meeting
7. Establishing boundaries
8. Offer Feedback
9. Offer Scope
10. How can I provide value in the first interaction?
11. What actionable meeting items do we need to create?
12. Ladies and gentlemen, here begins the Meeting!
13. Live by example. Eat your own dogfood. Walk the talk.
14. Building on the boundaries.
15. Ensuring value exchange
16. Following up
17. That’s a wrap!

So how do create a unique experience? A -supercool-over-the-top-once-in-a-lifetime-event-?

Tony Robbins is a master of this art. At huge events. I only had a Zoom call and while that is very nice, it’s hard to hype a session like Tony who has a DJ, blinding lights, and a whole crowd.

So I thought about my friend David Brier, the ultimate brand master. What could I apply? Look what the competition does. Find what they don’t do. Do it in an awesome way. Risingabovethenoise (dotcom) as he would say.

…and then how I could take everything else I know even remotely related and synergize this unique client journey.

My codex states, among other things: Define and live by your own standards.

“Create an experience for your client unlike anything else within their lifetime”

So much for the standard. Nice, and low, piece of cake. What else? The obvious things.

• Preparation
• Structure
• Live by example, aka. do the things you talk about yourself.

Preparation:

I did the following things:

• Checked the profile of my client. Viewed his profile video, read the About section, and filled out the service proposal so I could see the process.
• Reviewed his social proof. Checked if they are traceable.Example: You build podcasts, your client loves how you built it for them in the review but I can’t see a podcast anywhere that was actually built.
• Viewed his website content and service offers.Nerd stuff: DNS and MX Record lookup, performance checks.

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But wait, the meeting was not the first bigger touchpoint – It was the offer!

Again, what could I do that works, is clear and clever, but also unique? You know, alien stuff.

• I took into account what I knew about my client. His primary passion, but also the little things one shares.
• Important: Then I created in my mind a journey. I told a story. I used his space of passion to come up with a metaphor, aligning my service offer with his needs.Example: You write an offer for an ornithologist (birdlovers) and you tell a wonderful story how you unfolded your wings on your own journey and how much you love to teach people to fly now.

Now how could I design this story, this text, including my love, but also tangible details? You can get people really hyped without a single number, but as a result, you might lose them if they see the numbers. Also, I want to be transparent and straight in communication.

PDF? E-Mail? Voice note? Video? Nope.

First, I identified something that works well, but in another context with the same meaning.

• I had to transfer specific details and information.
• I wanted something visually stunning.
• I needed something that could convey the storyline well.

The synergy? An 800×8000 pixel monster Infographic.

• I went back to the website. Checked the font and color codes (chrome dev tools).
• Then I picked some nice graphics of his domain (nice birds, you know).
• I put everything together and added a nice touch of cool graphics and most important:

A CLEAR CTA AT THE BOTTOM!

Nothing is worse than convincing a client to buy, getting them to the point where they love the idea, and then having this potential ruined by confusion.

Example: A cool bird picture with the line “Are you ready to fly, {error404:clientname not found}?”

Then, you could add a button to your meeting planner below, so they can schedule a first meeting.

My CTA? A Survey.

Wait, aren’t surveys supposed to come AFTER an experience? Sure. That is what everyone does.

My survey is facilitating the step between receiving the offer and taking my offer.

Advantages:

• I ask real questions in there. They help me to understand the character and personality of my client.
• It allows them to share something with me before we meet. It sparks all kinds of replies.
• Psychology: What is behind the magic button? People like to find out and hey, it’s only a survey, no commitment to anything, right?

Wrong.

Did you know that, if you ask people for a small favor, they are more likely to do you another, even bigger one? Sounds crazy? It’s science once again, baby.

By doing you a small favor, a person is investing in your relationship.

• If they file the survey, they invest in your relationship, most of the time unconsciously.

The set-up of the set-up Meeting

I’ve put everything related to my client into one page in my company knowledge base.

• I’ve added the shared offer, resources, and survey response at the top.
• Created a possible meeting moderation timeline and structure to ensure I cover my points.

Then, I noted down my most important points:

Establishing boundaries

• My client can expect integrity, truth, and transparency from me, always. This is my way.
• That I expect my client to tell me the truth always. You can decide not to share something, but if you lie, you waste the lifetime of both of us.
• That, if they see any kind of logical hole or error of thought in my work, they should please let me know.

Offer Feedback

• What made you take action?
• How could I improve my offer?Note: My client even noticed that this is a feedback loop and pointed that out and that they liked that.

Offer Scope

• What is my client’s investment
• What will I provide throughout the experience

How can I provide value in the first interaction?

• Answering questions and providing resources related to requirements engineered in the survey
• Providing a meeting timetable and conscious moderation
• Sharing my first impressions and possible PODs (Potential of Development) I identified at first glance.

What actionable meeting items do we need to create?

• Clear steps on how to proceed.
• Preferred communication structure.What primary channel, where to share resources, and how to escalate.
• Payment details
• Coaching and SELV Service Agreement Details.

Having my things in place, I’ve added the following resources and PODs

• A clear answer to the questions asked in the survey
• The weak points in the profile, service proposal, booking software, and Website.
• Possible improvements of the value communication and online presence.
• Strategical tangible advice forValue communicationOffer visibility and customer experienceContent creation and lead generation.Feedback loops, such asHow are you getting feedback?How do you create new offers and discover opportunities?How do you validate the value transfer?
• Additional questions for reflection, blindspot- and improvement potential discovery

NOTE: ALL OF THIS happened before my client even met me for the first time.

Trumpet noises

Ladies and gentlemen, here begins the Meeting!

I have no time to waste and I enjoy deep conversations much more than intentionless small talk.

Shortly after Hello here and Hello there, my answer to the question how I am doing was this:

“See, a friend said “A coaching with pauL will be unlike everything they’ll experience in their life.

….and I took that as a challenge.” So, do you want to start with an experiment? It will take only a minute.

Experiment: [Unreadable Spoiler] – Well, you’ll have to attend my coaching to find out ,-)

Live by example. Eat your own dogfood. Walk the talk.

After this short experiment, I established the boundaries. As mentioned, I told him:

• Truth required. You can decide to remain quiet, but if you lie, you waste our time.
• If you ever feel there is a lack of logic or thought in my work, let me know instantly. Be brutal.
• That, while we didn’t have an NDA in place at the start of the meeting, I’ll still handle everything my client shares within this meeting confidentially.

Then, I used the fastest way to generate trust in a conversation, even with total strangers (steal this):

“I’d like to ask you a question and then you can ask me whatever you want, ok?”

I said “some questions”, but you’ll get the idea. It’s a great trade, some answers vs. any question you want.

That’s why people usually agree to it.

Establishing boundaries is something I talk about and there I did it. I say feedback loops are important, and almost the first thing we started with was me asking for feedback. I match my thoughts, words, and actions.

Building on the boundaries.

After establishing the boundaries of our experience, we went through all the points.

• Offer and experience feedback
• Explanation of SELV and the Alpha Test Coaching Group (3/5 Slots right now).

…and much more. In short, a lot of questions and information exchange.

Ensuring value exchange

Approaching the end of our timeframe, I made sure we realized our actionable meeting items.

• I noted everything back to my knowledge base, all the information, notes, and details.
• I made sure that my client knows exactly what happens next.
• I emphasized that everything I’ll ever said and say is shared with the best intentions and that my client is most welcome to ask for elaboration, clarification, and to reconnect whenever they doubt that.

Following up

Right after the meeting, I drafted a “Thank you E-mail”.

• Telling my client that I appreciate him, his efforts, and giving me the honor of serving them.
• A summary for their convenience:The agreement detailsHow we’ll proceedThe resources I’ve created prior to and throughout the meeting.

improve yourSELV & your environment.