Poll dancing – Part 3
One firm’s quest for client hearts & minds
Thanks to my clients’ brutal feedback, the coffee served at Empire House is now beyond reproach! 
Part 3 of 3 (Action)
Armed with a mother load of intelligence from my first client survey, I asked my trusty business coach, Winston Marsh , what I should do with it.
Here’s what Winno said to me (in his uniquely forthright style):
Thank everyone for participating and give them a summary of the results.
All too rarely we ask people for their opinion. And then we don’t tell them what we find! They appreciate hearing back and often respond with even more valuable information.
And sometimes, just sometimes, they’ll add value … like some work.
Winno was dead right. Every respondent I got back to was grateful for the contact. Most did indeed give me more feedback. And two of them starting talking about new work projects!
Create something of value for yourself by creating something of value for them.
The survey comments tell me you haven’t been giving your clients reasons to use you. And they certainly haven’t been sitting around thinking, ‘Hmmm, how can I give Paul a job?’
You have to create something that’ll get them business, which will then mean work for you. You’ve gotta create a big fat WIIFM for them so that they say, ‘Hey, that’s a great idea! It’s worth investing in Paul to get a result for me.’ That’s leverage.
The question is, what can you do to help them and, in so doing, help yourself?
In response to this suggestion, I codified my new corporate blogging service into a two-page business case. I then emailed it to all my survey participants, other clients and prospects.
The response was staggering. Better than anything else I’ve ever tried. Thanks, ideas and leads came pouring in. I’m now preparing two blogging quotes, with many more nibbles on the line.
Stay in touch.
These people have been good enough to respond; they deserve a little extra thought and consideration from you.
If you stay in touch and ‘love them’, they’re gunna love you back – though you’re going to give without expecting return.
It’s the law of mutual reciprocity … do something for others and they’ll want to do something for you. And being in touch means you’re not outta sight, outta mind. When times do turn or a project comes up, you’re gunna be right at the forefront of their minds.
Wise words! Winno had been telling me for years that I needed to stay in touch with my clients. Yet as a reclusive writer, I thought I could get by with little or no contact.
I also thought that contacting my clients without an explicit, work-related reason was actually bothering them. How wrong I was!
After giving me his responses, Winston referred me to one of his articles: ‘Loving Your Clients’. I was going to provide a link to this article, but after my latest experience, I firmly believe it deserves a full reproduction here.
Think of it as your holiday reading.
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire
Winston Marsh’s Theory of ‘Loving Your Clients’.
Stay in touch with your database at least six times each year. Now, that is sometimes a little daunting for most people because thinking of six reasons to contact people over the year and, more importantly, creating the contact letters or e-mails is difficult for many of us.
After all, many of us do find writing those letters and e-mails a challenging task; we’d rather do other things.
So, my suggestion is quite simple. Take a day off every year, and with your PA or the rest of your team members, think about the contacts you’d like to have with your client base and then spend the day putting them together, stealing letters from places, writing others, thinking of great things you can do, and then you’ll have them as and when needed, because the number one problem in contacting your database is that you don’t have anything readily available to use.
It’s got to be created, and I know there are other things you’d rather do. So, having them pre-planned and pre-written will make it a breeze.
My suggestions are very simple. Let’s give you an idea of the sort of things I would have you use to stay in touch with your clients.
First of all, the Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary note. You know, it’s quite amazing, we’ve asked hundreds and hundreds of professionals if they send birthday or anniversary cards and guess what? Less than 6 in 100 do. Yeah, that’s right, 6 in a 100. Well, why not? Well, perhaps they think that everybody else does it so they’re not going to do it.
Be smart. Do what everybody else doesn’t do and remember those important days, birthdays and anniversaries. And that’s why your clients will be delighted to receive a note that says “I’d like to shout you dinner on your birthday”.
Remember, there’s a way you can get restaurants to give you free meals to gift to your clients. If you’d like further details, just let me know. Does it work? You betcha bippy. Gangbusters.
Next, you’ll want to wish them all the best in the festive and other seasons. “Have a Merry Christmas”, “Enjoy Easter”, “Have a great barbeque on Australia (or Waitangi) Day”.
You see, most of your clients celebrate these days and, obviously, you’d want them to enjoy the very best for them and their familles, so write and tell them that. Maybe you can enclose a little gift, as well, not just a crummy calendar.
So, it’s a nice thought to write and say something like “Ho, ho, ho, it’s Christmas time again” or “What you up to Doc at Easter?” And remember, too, I’ve used Christian festivals as an example, and in our diverse society, you should take into account the special events in the lives of people with beliefs that are different to yours.
You sure as heck are going to get their attention when you remember these events, and you’ll be remembered positively. I love a note to clients that begins “What does this news mean?” From time to time, there’s going to be things in the media or mentions in Parliament about events or developments that may affect your products or services.
So, what you’ve got to do is anticipate that people, your clients, will be thinking about the implications of that news. So, wouldn’t it be great for them to receive a letter, or an e-mail, while the controversy is raging which says “You can sit back and relax because here’s what it means to you, and if there’s any other changes, I’ll be in touch”.
You’ll feel good knowing that your clients trust you to make sure that the real facts and implications are under control and that you’ve got a watching brief for them.
Another great contact is what I call the “just wanted to stay in touch”. You see, building a business relationship is like building a romantic relationship. You’ve got to stay in touch and tell them that you love them, just because you do.
That’s why it’s great to drop clients a line from time to time with no business motive in mind. Yes, that’s right, no business motive in mind other than to stay in touch. You might tell them about a great restaurant, a good book, a fabulous film or a terrific place, just as you would a friend. A letter that begins “I must tell you about this fantastic restaurant before I implode” will certainly be compulsive reading.
An invitation to a seminar or a workshop is a great, great contact. If you do want to build a meaningful relationship with your clients, you’ll want to invite them to a seminar or a workshop where you or an interesting speaker or two gives them the low-down on stuff they want to know.
And, of course, it doesn’t always have to be a workshop or a seminar, it could be an invitation to see a first release movie or a night at the local theatre company’s dramatic production.
Have your personal assistant organise the event, get the invitations out and make them compelling so that your clients will want to come. They’ll love you for it.
Another contact that works gangbusters is a postcard from overseas. Because you are good at what you do, you get to travel overseas, both on business and pleasure. And when you’re there, no doubt you’re going to see and hear things of interest to your clients, so why not send them a postcard?
You can pre-prepare it before you go actually, which says something like “I heard a couple of great ideas at this international conference” or “When I was in such and such, I saw this sensational way of doing this”.
Mail it to them with pretty stamps from the place you’re in and they’ll love you for it. Naturally, from time to time, you will need to write and tell them about a great new product, something that’s just come out that may be of advantage to them or their family.
Don’t just send them a boring, glossy brochure, make sure you accompany it with a letter that is down-to-earth, personal and highlights the benefits.
Another item in your staying in touch arsenal is the occasional review of where they’re at with your product or service. You’ll want to write to them and suggest that they pop in and see you or make an appointment with you, or you go and see them, to review where they’re at with your product or service to see if their circumstances or needs have changed.
It may not necessarily generate more business, but it’ll show them that you care.
And, naturally, from time to time you’ll want to send a referral seeking letter because you and I both know how important referrals are. You can ask them today and they know nobody, but sometime in the future, because life is a passing parade, there’s going to be somebody that they want to refer.
So, you need to write to them occasionally and say “It suddenly occurred to me that you might know somebody who …” or “How would you like a night at this plush hotel for you and your partner absolutely free?”
Stay in touch, too, by becoming a ferret for facts that will interest your clients. You see an article in a magazine or a newspaper or you hear something of interest, copy it or relate it in your letter and send it to them saying “I thought you may be interested in this”.
You know, when you think on behalf of your clients, you really are doing them a service because although you may have seen it in the newspaper or read it in a magazine or heard it on the news, they might have missed it. It just shows that you care.
And don’t forget, you’re going to send them your newsletter every so often or your e-zine on a regular basis. All part of being in touch.
And, finally, for those important clients, there’s one really great contact you have to have and that is the “How’s thing?” call. Yes, that’s right. Every day, pick up the phone and ring a client you don’t need to ring and simply say, “How’s things?” You’ll be amazed at how well that works in building the relationship.
But, of course, if you stay in touch with your database at least six times a year, you’ll build that relationship, and when you build relationships, you become a legend in other people’s minds.
Thank you very much, Winston; I couldn’t have said it better. What I can say, from experience, is that your theory works! Best regards, Paul.
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Morning all. Sorry if you received multiple emails this morning – we seemed to have a rogue elf in the system.
Paul & I would like to wish everyone and your families a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year, and to thank you for being a part of the Small Business Owner community in 2009.
Today is our last post for the year (Paul is going to take some of his own advice and take a break!!) but we’ll be back with a vengeance from Tuesday 14 January. Hope to see you there for another year of laughs
Too right, Vegemite! The response from every one of you has blown me away.
I’m humbled and grateful, and I know HEAPS more stuff from reading your generous and learned comments.
So, my heartfelt thanks to you, dear readers.
And to my favourite Lord of The Ether, Mistress Megan of MYOB, thank you very much for your firm-but-fair direction and support. You bloody rock! Best regards, P.
Good Morning Folks
And thanks Dear Megan (Our Beloved Deep Ocean of Mystery), for your kind Christmas Wishes.
I popped in to do exactly that…to wish all the fine folks that frequent this fabulous font of feisty fables, season greetings and merry whatever you celebrate or not…
This has become a fine community to which I’m honoured to belong. The support and friendship shown to me have moved me to consider myself part of a virtual family…and for that I’m grateful.
As we approach 2010, I thought; actually that’s fibbing; at the moment I can’t think
…I feel like I’ve had my brain removed. Fairly standard part of a ‘walkabout’. Around this time next week I will probably feel like I know absolutely nothing…makes way for the new. 
Anyway, I’d though I’d leave you with what I consider to be a golden thread. A thread that we might consider weaving into the tapestry of our dreams, as we ‘boldy go…’:
“Problems can’t be solved within the mind-set that created them”
(Einstein dictum – excerpted from Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken Amory Lovins & L. Hunter Lovins – pg6. The book can be downloaded for free from here – http://www.docstoc.com/docs/8797047/Natural-Capitalism—Paul-Hawken & here – http://www.natcap.org/sitepages/pid20.php )
If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you in the new year
Happy thoughts to you and all that you love.
Cheers
Stephen G
PS And Paul? Thanks mate. Your stalwart diligence in making the saga on the Naming Rights article ( http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/05/07/naming-rights/comment-page-2/#comment-4210 ), available is not only amazing, but I daresay amazingly useful for many to come.
Hi Paul,
I saw your tweet for the final part of this series on Twitter. I’m glad I did because I hadn’t read the first two posts. Besides being hysterically funny, they were extremely useful. I’ve been toying with running a poll and you’ve outlined some great techniques, namely, use open, neutral questions.
Honestly, this final post was SMB gold and definitely worthy of a considered read. (I’m sure you face the problem of writing for people that don’t read. I do. The world is full of skimmers these days.) Thanks so much for including Winton Marsh’s theory for Loving your Clients. He’s right and has given me several new ideas for how to do just that.
Have a fantastic holiday. It will be less funny without you around.
Dear Stephen, I was so hoping you’d bookend our year. As you’ve constituted such a rich seam of content during it.
I’ve heard a lot of folk say that 2009 is a very good year to leave behind. I have high hopes for 2010. For you, me and all our community.
Thanks for your note on the Telstra BigPond saga. The producers of Beowulf have already been in touch. I never thought I’d get to mention Kafka. In any context. Let alone twice. Telstra has shown me otherwise. Hugs.
Good luck with your walkabout, Mate, and watch out for those snakes. Please come back soon. You live in my thoughts and, I suspect, many others’. Best regards, P.
Hello, Sarah. Talk about saving the best for last! What a great comment you’ve left.
Funny. Useful. Great. Worthy. You can scribble those words on my urn before scattering me around Doncaster Botanical Gardens.
Thank you so much for your uplifting feedback. With readers like you on board, I’ll be pulling out ALL the stops next year.
Best regards indeed! P.
Paul, I knew we were kindred spirits from the start – would you believe I have 2 box sets of Winston Marsh’s and he talked at our last franchise conference? Unfortunately I missed the conf due to committments to my 3 month old, but hubby came home raving about Winno.
I also came to the same ‘keeping in touch’ conclusion this week, after a nice kick in the pants from an existing client who had been feeling unloved .. her non-urgent query quietly slipping through the cracks amongst all our ‘busyness’. So, in an effort to truly live the “Relationships=Money” mantra, I’m focusssing on the relationships with our top clients in 2010. Initiatives include:
- Plunger with decent coffee (http://www.kupenda.com.au – our friend’s busines) and a Chrissy cake as our Xmas gift … plus a repeat delivery on the coffee with our compliments in Jan, Feb & March.
- ‘Birthday Club’ where you get a card and a freebie on the anniversary of buying a new compuetr from us .. and the freebie isn’t a discount voucher off our services.
- a ‘Feel the Love’ fund where I set aside $x every month or quarter and it has to be spent on client relationship building stuff. This gets reported to hubby at our regular meetings so he can hold me accoutable for doing it.
- arming hubby with a bag of lollies to dish out whenever he goes onsite to do a job for our customers.
- Created our ‘key client’ list (to also educate our first team member on who’s who) and will be reviewing at each weekly meeting the current status of their jobs plus any other communication (planned or held) with them. This ensures ‘no key client is forgotten’.
Now to review Winston’s fabulous tips and wrap this all up in a system so it gets actioned!
Thank goodness for the Christmas ‘break’?!
-Sonia
These last three posts sum up a great year for this blog Paul. You’ve been generous, wise, brutally honest and yet still open to new ways of thinking. I don’t know of a more fearless communicator. It’s been a real joy to follow along all year, kind of in the background, but watching and learning with fascination.
All the best to you, Megan and the entire myBRC community for the holiday season, 2010 and beyond.
Thanks for the wise words everyone.
xoadam
Great to hear from you, Sonia. And to learn that you’re a Winston Marsh fan. His support for The Empire over many years has been extraordinary. So rare to find a SMART bloke who’s also a GOOD bloke.
Your list of client love devices absolutely puts me to shame. Any more learning in this area and I’m going to explode! Seriously, though, thanks heaps for laying it all out. Viewing this vital issue from several independent perspectives shows that I’m not making it up as I go along.
A BIG thank you for your comments and guesting this year, Sonia. I sure do hope we see you back in force next year. And thanks for that coffee link too; looks ace! Best regards, P.
Great post Paul to end the three part series and simple lessons that can be actioned pretty easily.
Best wishes back to you and Megan and I am sure myBRC and Small Busines Owner will be even more successful next year.
Susan
Thank you, Adam, for your readership and support. And the 20-odd blog posts that bear your finedly-honed editing stamp. If I happen to OD on eggnog, Megan needn’t look far.
One of the main reasons I like writing this stuff is that you like reading it. You’re a jolly champ and a tower of strength. I’m very grateful.
Many thanks, Susan. It’s always great to read your kind words. I fully expect that we’ll all reach greater heights in 2010. With such kind, clever and generous people around us, how can we not?!
Hi Paul,
An excellent post as always and a great way to finish the year. Glad to see the coffee is coming on at Empire House, may have to drop in for cup………
Great job this year and you have enriched our lives with your wisdom and humour. Looking forward to seeing what you have in store for 2010, a new decade a new beginning.
Best wishes
Malcolm
Thanks heaps, Malcolm. Your top-down and behind-the-scenes perspectives have been particularly valuable to this forum.
And your kind words have been a balm to the sabre wounds of my ravaged soul.
Speaking of sabre wounds, if any of you has a stocking left to stuff, you can NOT go past Adam’s calendar and Malcolm’s book.
Simply click one or both of their smiling faces and the visage/s of your targetted gift recipient/s will appear likewise.
Fabulous post Paul, I must have missed the tweets for part 1 and 2. Though now I am going tohave to go and find them and read them.
Sometimes it is the simple things that get forgotten – the reminder to stay in touch and connect with clients and those in our cirlce and beyond is essential in life and business.
Have a peacefull and fun Christmas and New Year and may 2010 bring your dreams to reality.
Ensha
Hello Ensha. Sorry for the delay in responding. We ran away for a few days.
Thank you for your spot-on comment and kind wishes. I hope you like Parts 1 and 2.
Thanks also for your inspiring comments here and on Twitter. Please keep that parabolic reflector array pointing my way; I need your positive vibes! It was beaut to connect with you this year. Best regards, P.
Hi Paul, I bet it was sooo good to be away for a few days = essential self maintenance. Something that for a lot of people gets a little put to the side.
Fabulous to connect with you as well, I have had some good laughs and gained some insights to put into action. Thank you
Just checked reflectors still working well – just been in for an upgrade. 2010 will bring in more positive energy and information for change. Excellent
Much appreciation Ensha
Paul – nice to see this three part series wrap up so successfully! Sounds like you saved a faux pas in part 2 about the public feedback with some quick reaction. Feedback programs are fraught with such perils – but with some experimentation you can find a good process that works for you.
Winston also touched on the subject of client contact, suggesting at least six times per year to talk with your clients, PLUS the daily “how’s things” phone call. I would concur, that each client will have no problem with feedback requests coming in every 2 months – most will be open far more frequently than that. But even just asking shows a continued interest and care, even if they don’t respond.
Hope this feedback exercise leads to a very prosperous and exciting new year!
Thank you for your kind comment, Ryan. I did find this tale a bit unwieldy to set down, but we got there in the end. And it does seem like a nice way to end the year.
I’m glad you agree with Winston. Would that I had ‘got with the program’ sooner! Some things, it seems, you just have to learn the hard way. This adventure was filled with lessons I won’t forget.
I do feel the exercise will lead to good things in 2010. Thank you once again for your interest and feedback.
Just sent my thank-you email to survey participants:
‘Thank you once again for participating in my survey.
I can’t believe how much I learned.
I’m now implementing the great ideas I received.
I’ve also written a series of three blog articles documenting this challenging yet priceless exercise.
I include the links below, in case you’re interested:
http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/12/15/poll-dancing/
http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/12/17/poll-dancing-part-2/
http://mybrc.myobnet.com/2009/12/22/poll-dancing-part-3/
Should you wish to leave comments on any or all of these posts, I’d be delighted.
If you do, you can include a link to the site of your choice for fresh visitor traffic.
MYOB promotes this blog to around 3000 businesses, so it’s jolly good exposure.
With best regards and MANY thanks for your time.
Paul.
Once again you are on the money with the best advice…thank you for sharing all your wisdom and ideas and stories in 2009 – can’t wait for what’s next from you in 2010
Thanks Paul, you’re the best…
Thanks for all YOUR input, Joanna. Your ideas and perspective energised many a discussion. And your own blog is a ripper. And let’s not forget who mentioned me in their Financial Review Boss Magazine article! I certainly won’t.
An excellent related article from Darren Rowse at ProBlogger:
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/01/10/why-running-surveys-with-your-readers-rocks/
Paul – as you know I was away while this went live. I deliberately chose to forgo internet connectivity for three weeks, so I’m only just catching up now.
(Surprisingly, I hardly missed the ‘net at all…must have been a good holiday!)
Thanks for this post – it is genuinely useful, as are Winston’s tips at the very end. In fact, I will be taking a good part of it on board myself.
Thanks!
Very wise move, Stephen. I imagine (and certainly hope) you feel much refreshed by your decision.
Winston certainly is one out of the box. I’m really pleased you appreciated his counsel.
Thanks for the mention on your blog, Susan!
http://www.m4bmarketing.com/out-of-sight-out-of-mind%e2%80%a6out-of-business/