Take 5 minutes and write down or type up how you’d expect to be greeted, checked-in, accommodated upon arrival.

• How are you going to WOW your clients every visit? Smiling is simple and often forgotten.
• How could you differentiate from your competitors in this one area?
• Are they receiving a beverage option?  Do they know their options or do you simply ask if they want something to drink? Verbiage is huge and we’ll cover this soon!
• Are they receiving a tour of your fabulous environment?
• Do they know where the bathrooms are?  Are you pointing to these areas or are you walking them through your business?  Little things mean everything!

Now list WHO is responsible for greeting clients every day and hour you’re open.

• Are you holding someone accountable for this responsibility?
• What are the rewards for a performance well done?  What are the consequences otherwise?
• Expectations should be clear with all staff; we’ll talk more about this soon too!

Put your plan into Action!

• Give your golden rule plan time to become a habit for all staff members.
• Make sure all new staff members are trained accordingly.

Commit, Reflect & Revise

• After one month of working this plan, talk with staff to find out if there’s any struggles, if there are ways to improve efficiency, or if the plan could evolve for the better.  Do this on a regular basis.

Your staff are on the front line and they can become your most brilliant innovators if given the opportunity.

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Industry friends, are you as sensitive to the impression you’re making with existing/returning clients as you are with brand new clients? It’s easy to forget the importance of how our clients perceive our hospitality with EACH and EVERY visit. 

Do you know the number one reason clients move on to new professionals? It’s because they believe you probably wouldn’t notice!

Friends, it’s the golden rule at its finest.  We must treat each client as we’d like to be treated. AWARENESS is the first step! Wouldn't you agree we want to have the red carpet pulled out for our clients regardless of it being their first visit or their twentieth?

If we treat every client at every visit with this consistency we will build a loyal following. Friends, it’s what you do Beyond The TechniqueTM that will bring you substantial success!

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Our industry is a people industry. And because of this it’s so important for us to understand people. Start today by implementing these three ways you can make a fabulous first impression.

1. Make Eye Contact & Smile

Goodness, how easy right?!   Well, have you ever been ignored when you’ve walked into a business? Point made. Make this a MUST for every client who walks through the door.   Also, the smiling aspect may seem like common sense…but remember, common sense is NOT common. Make THIS a must for every client who walks in the door as well. Have you ever been acknowledged but sensed that by walking through a business’s door, you were actually inconveniencing them? Point made. The smile matters :)

2. “WELCOME”

By simply saying “welcome” to each client when they arrive, regardless if they’re new or existing, will be very uplifting. It’s that feel good moment for them. Make this a MUST for every client when they walk through your doors and notice an immediate positive reaction!

3. Mirroring

This gets a little on the deep side but body positioning is so very important for fabulous first impressions. If your client likes to get really close to you when they talk to you, get really close back. Yes, we’ve all had those people that get right up to your face…it’s awkward for us all but we do it because we care. If they like to cross their arms when they talk, you do the same. Or they’re the type that talk with their hands…well, now so are you ;) If they’re tilting their head to the left, you tilt your head to the right (it will be the same direction to them). If they speak quietly, you come down to their tone or tempo. If they’re super excited, you better exude that same energy level as well!

By mirroring your clients you’re placing yourselves in physical agreement and harmony with them. It’s a subconscious thing…but long story short, people want to be around people they have similar agreements with. In other words, they want to feel they have a connection with you and that the two of you have common, beliefs, values, style preferences, etc..

Focus on the Client!

If you’re now thinking, “well, this isn’t the real me…I wouldn’t feel comfortable implementing these things…It’s just not who I am”. Let us remind you that this isn’t about you. It’s about your clients. If you focus on yourself less and others more, we promise you’ll not only feel great, but you’ll become very successful. It’s what you do Beyond The TechniqueTM that will build you substantial success.

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The saying goes, “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”.  Before we give you a few tips on how you can make a great first impression, please think about the traits of others you’ve recently met for the first time that you really liked! Were they interested in you as a person? Were they engaged in getting to know you? Did they ask you questions? Did they complement you? Did they look good, smell nice, dress cool? How about someone you recently met that you didn’t really click with. What was it about that person that didn’t work for you? Maybe they avoided eye contact with you? Did they talk about themselves the entire time without regarding to ask you questions? Did they seem insecure or stuck up?

The first step to making a fabulous first impression is simply recognizing what does it for you? Now that you’ve thought about this. Write your personal top 5 traits of people you genuinely like.

Your homework is simple. Start portraying these characteristics with new clients! You’ll notice a positive impact simply by focusing on it. They say you can manage what you acknowledge and what you don’t manages you. That’s a whole other topic friends…

Our goal is to encourage and educate you on how to really understand people. After all, we’re in the people business. Our industry is all about people!

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To be successful Beyond The TechniqueTM, we must be aware that each client at every visit is expecting an experience from us. At some point you’ve been a first time client, right? Of course! And we’re positive you can relate to being a loyal client at some point also? Do you pride yourself on being loyal to your favorite massage therapist, chiropractor or aesthetician?! This is because we typically do unto others as we’d want done unto ourselves. Meaning, we want our clients to stay loyal to us, so we are typically loyal too. Friends, it’s up to us to deliver consistent results with each client at every visit. And those results should simply be congruent with our own expectations. What if we were the client? What would we expect?

The FIRST Visit

Do you remember a time that you went to a new business where you were going to be serviced?  Did you have this excitement because maybe you heard how awesome the place was? Do you expect they’ll sweep you off your feet? Are you pumped to be blown away by the awesome experience too?

Or, maybe you tend to be on the nervous side because for you, the unknowns are uncomfortable.  You’re expecting the business to put you at ease and graciously walk you through each step in order for you to feel like you belong. Friends, we must be conscientious that new clients we’re match with may feel the same!

The Loyal Client  

Think of a time recently, that you’ve gone to a place you regularly visit. Maybe it’s your neighborhood coffee shop, your yoga studio or your favorite bar.  You know the staff by name and you look forward to showing up to all that custom attention.  They’ll call you by your name or nickname. They’ll treat you as if you’re a part of their staff.  You love them, they love you, and this is why you’re loyal to them!  This is how it should go, right?

Well, have you ever been disappointed?  Have you ever been to a new business and been completely ignored?  Have you ever felt that by calling a business or walking through their doors, you were actually inconveniencing them?  Or how about going to your frequents and because they DO know you so well, they give you the head nod and expect you to find your seat or go to your designated area and no real attention is delivered.  We’ve all experienced this at one time or another. How did you react? How many times in a row could you go with this disappointed feeling before you give up on that place?

Prevention

In upcoming topics we are going to share with you how important first impressions are. What you can do to make a fabulous first impression. And what your business can implement to ensure consistency to the experiences of your loyal existing clients. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it a million times to come. It’s what you do Beyond The TechniqueTM that will build substantial success for both you and your business! So stay tuned and get ready for a positive and fulfilling career!

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