above and beyond: how to work with an affluent clientle
I saw an article recently about the Ritz Carlton Hotel. It's a perfect example of what needs to be done in order to court and cater to (and persuade) an affluent client base. This is exactly the way to keep your clients interested and involved with you and your product or service.
There's a policy at the Ritz Carlton that says any employee, regardless of how "lowly" their position, can spend up to $2,000 a day *without* prior authorization from management, to solve any problem or need their clients may have. And when I say any employee, I mean, any employee -- from housekeeping to desk clerks to maintenance.
The story goes that a business man was staying at the Atlanta Ritz Carlton. He checked out, went to the airport, got on the plane for Hawaii (where he had a very important presentation) and realized he had forgotten his laptop in the room. The laptop contained the only copy of the presentation. So he called the Ritz and the front desk put him through to housekeeping. Housekeeping informed him that they found his computer and asked what he would like them to do with it.
The man asked them to please send it by Federal Express with an early morning delivery so that he'd have it in time for his presentation.
Early the next morning the man went to the front desk to check on his delivery. When he got there, there was a woman from the housekeeping department of the Ritz Carlton of Atlanta waiting for him. She said, 'This was too important.'
Now I ask you, will this man ever stay at another hotel in Atlanta? Probably not. And will he tell this story to his friends and colleagues? Absolutely. And his friends and colleagues will tell their friends and colleagues and this is how amazing publicity is created. An affluent clientle expects good service and superior quality, and yet, even this incident seems to go above and beyond expectations.
Going above and beyond doesn't mean you have to break the bank and spend $2,000 every time someone has a problem. . . After all, you're not a major hotel chain with that kind of petty cash laying around. Going above and beyond can mean a simple note or a birthday card.
On a recent one-on-one call with one of my coaching club students (a financial adviser), she told me a story that perfectly illustrates this point. This student had a one year non-compete clause with her former workplace and it was about to expire. Throughout the year, however, she had maintained a connection with former clients by just sending out birthday cards. One day, one of her former clients called and said, "You know, my husband's financial adviser also sent a birthday card, but instead of addressing it to me, it was addressed to my husband, whose birthday isn't for seven more months."
Mistakes happen. But this was totally avoidable and costly for that other financial adviser.
Attention to detail, going above and beyond, simple pleasantries, even a kind word. . . all of these things not only make other people feel compelled to do business with you, but they make the recipient feel good. Funny thing is, they also have the added bonus of making the person giving them feel good.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Kenrick Cleveland teaches techniques to earn the business of affluent clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion techniques.
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by: KenrickCleveland
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