Simple Tools to Help Your Clients Achieve the Best Results and Become Raving Fans
Simple Tools to Help Your Clients Achieve the Best Results and Become Raving Fans
Getting your first clients is by far one of the toughest parts of starting a business. At that point you hardly have any credibility and no data to suggest that you in fact CAN coach a person to achieve the results they desire.
Sounds depressing, right?
The truth is, regardless of whether or not you are working with your first or tenth client, converting your clients from simple customers to raving fans can help you quickly expand your business through warm introduction and referrals.
Consider this stat, it costs 6-7x more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one (Bain and Company), so you should be bending over backwards to make sure your clients not only stick around BUT ALSO have a fantastic experience.
At the end of the day this all comes down to the perceived value of your offering – i.e. the value your client sees in your service.
If you are consistently delivering what clients perceive as a high value product, you will create a foundation for successful clients who become raving fans.
Dr. Steve’s Dilemma
The BEST EXAMPLE I’ve ever heard about the effects of perceived value came through a conversation I had with Dr. Steve Feyrer-Melk of the Optimal Heart Center.
Steve and his wife have created a phenomenal practice and offering, whereby his wife is the cardiologist and Steve runs all of the lifestyle programs. Everything they do really is top notch, but they had an interesting situation arise that’s worth sharing.
Steve told me that several years earlier one of his clients came to him and told him that The Optimal Heart Center NEEDED to raise their prices because they weren’t charging enough for their incredible service.
The perceived value by their customers was off the charts, BUT raising prices can be scary.
Steve’s fear of course was by raising prices he would price himself out of the market and lose a fair amount of his clients, but after much deliberation they decided to take this person’s advice. The Optimal Heart Center decided to raise its prices.
As a result, they lost ZERO clients.
Why? Even with this price hike, Steve and his wife were still delivering a level of value that their clients found to be higher than the actual cost they were paying each month.
Having the Right Tools Can Help
Providing great customer service is irreplaceable, and in fact, according to Defaqto Research 55% of customers said they would pay extra to guarantee premium service.
Using the right tools can help strengthen your offering with additional value and complement the fantastic service you already provide your clients.
To make your life a bit easier I’ve gone ahead and touched on some of the technologies I’ve seen coaches using that can boost your likelihood of turning clients in raving fans.
Video Conferencing
In case you missed it, digital coach is in. More and more people are beginning to adopt virtual models due to the fact that it dramatically increases the size of your target market.
In a recent blog post I walked through an exercise of identifying your target market within your current city and once you drill down into the logistics and economic potential of your city you will quickly realize that your opportunity is far smaller when you begin considering logistics of travel, household income, etc.
With this in mind, leveraging video conferencing tools will allow you to provide the next best thing to face-to-face coaching, but do so in the comforts of your own home – also saving you costs of driving anywhere.
Consider incorporating weekly or biweekly calls using platforms like Skype or ZOOM to supplement in-person meetings. You can even consider putting together a low-cost offering utilizing these tools to provide webinars to groups, allowing you to reach more people in a low-cost manner.
Health Tracking Apps and Wearables
2014 was a remarkable year with respect to the adoption of health tracking apps, like Fitbit, proving that health tracking was indeed not your run of the mill fad.
I’m sure you’ve probably encountered this but more and more people are starting to keep track of their lifestyle either by wearing tracking devices, like Fitbit, or through simple apps on the phone, such as MOVES.
Data is constantly being generated around us and these devices are opening the door to new ways in which you can engage with your client and understand their habits. Keep in mind that your clients are only with you roughly 1% of the time, so this allows you to gain insights into the remaining 99%.
At this point there are countless apps on the market but working with a client on the app that best fits their lifestyle can strengthen your relationship and help you more seamlessly fit into their life.
For instance, working with someone who is a cyclist? Have them check out Strava. What about a runner? Garmin would be perfect!
Clients will appreciate your ability to work with them on their respective platforms, helping you stand out from other coaches, and begin offering a premium level of coaching.
Focus on Client Management
Aside from being great with people, most successful sales and business development professionals rely heavily on the right tools. How do you think they manage all of their leads and prospects?
The answer is customer-relationship-management (CRM) software, like Salesforce, helping sales folks ensure none of their prospects fall through the cracks, resulting in lost revenue 🙁
Like sales, coaching requires you being absolutely on top of your game when it comes to staying on top of client interactions, schedules, and plans.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR COACHING BUSINESS.
At this point there are even several new coach specific systems on the market, like Nudge Coach, designed specifically for coaches and other wellness professionals to help our with client management.
Regardless of the tool you choose, it’s important that you lay a foundation that scales, and ensures you never miss a timely touchpoint with your clients. Premium service is critical, especially in the early days.
Put together a suite of tools that best fits the needs of your business.
Clients expect you to be an expert and serve not only as a source of information but also as an accountability partner, stepping in when they may need a subtle nudge. SET THE STAGE FOR SUCCESS.
Technology has opened the door to a new type of coaching, allowing you to meet your clients in the middle, using tools that help increase your connectivity and effectiveness. As a result, you can better help individuals achieve their goals, increase client satisfaction, and set the stage for a thriving business.
If you want to learn more about tech enabled coaching and digital strategy, you can access the Nudge Coach online course HERE. Simply input promo code, “FREENUDGEPARTNER”, during checkout for free access.
Mac Gambill
Mac Gambill is one of the founders of Nudge Coach, a company focused on helping health coaches turn their passion into a sustainable business through continuing education and a market-leading software platform. The Nudge Coach platform combines data from health tracking apps with a streamlined notification and messaging system to enable coaches to better manage deeper connections with their clients.
To learn more, visit www.nudgecoach.com.
