Key Messages
122 Simple Ways To Put The Customer First In Business: An Overview
If you’re looking to succeed in business, “Clients First” is the guidebook you need.
The book explains why it’s so important to focus on your clients’ emotions, needs and desires.
An effective strategy should always be based on what they want—not what’s best for your bottom line.
It encourages readers to go above and beyond to ensure their clients’ satisfaction at all times; this could mean advising them not to buy from you!
By putting others before themselves, readers will discover why customer loyalty is an essential element of a thriving business and why being successful depends on consistently learning.
These valuable pieces of advice will help you stay ahead of the competition and make sure that your clients can always count on you to deliver a service tailored specifically to their needs.
Put simply, the key takeaway is that placing clients first—both emotionally and financially—will ultimately help lead a path towards success.
Building Customer Trust Through Honesty In The Real Estate Business
For any business, having the trust of customers or clients is key to success.
But how do you gain their trust? The answer lies in honesty.
It’s not just about telling your clients the truth – it’s about being truthful even when it goes against your interests.
An example we can look at is real estate transactions.
When clients are making big financial and emotional decisions ABOUT buying a house, they get overwhelmed and might be tempted to take shortcuts.
But once these customers realize that an agent is sincere about their desire for them to make the best decision for THEM, even if it does not result in a sale for the agent, those customers will develop a deep respect and loyalty in their relationship with that agent.
The authors’ story of working with the Brown family illustrates this perfectly: instead of pushing through with the sale despite knowing their finances would suffer, they advised against it and maintained honest communication throughout the process.
As a result, both families became loyal clients and were sure to recommend them to all of their friends!
The Importance Of Demonstrating Competence For Excellent Customer Service
Companies that put clients first know that competence is essential when it comes to winning them over.
Competence isn’t achieved by simply being good at what you do; rather, it requires continuous learning and development.
The authors of ‘Clients First’ experienced this firsthand – their initial attempts as real estate agents were disastrous.
However, this didn’t deter them and they committed themselves to learning more, attending conferences and subscribing to trade magazines.
By having a team of highly competent people working together, the authors achieved success in gaining an army of loyal customers.
Everyone from Martin all the way up to JoAnn should be knowledgeable about their roles in real estate, so that clients witness competence in action throughout the process.
Only those companies who demonstrate competence at every stage will win clients over in the end.
If you want who work in your company to do the same then you must help create an environment that fosters ongoing learning and professional growth.
When Closing Deals, Put Clients First To Gain Their Trust And Loyalty
If you’re looking to close deals, the key is to demonstrate care for your client by understanding where their interests lie.
This isn’t just about being sympathetic or empathetic; it’s about truly getting to know your clients and what they want out of a deal.
By truly putting your client first and doing what you can to understand their specific needs and goals, you will be rewarded with their loyalty and trust.
Not only will they be more open to your advice, but they’ll even fight against you if they think it’s not in their best interests!
In some cases, tracking down a client’s true needs might take some time as they have irrational or embarrassing fears that need to be addressed first.
But when those issues are finally brought out into the open, clients really appreciate the effort taken to put them first.
Building A Strong Customer Base Gives Your Company The Safety Net It Needs During Difficult Times
It is possible to keep your company afloat, even when the economy is in a slump.
The secret? Giving your clients the utmost respect and attention.
This was demonstrated clearly by the authors of Clients First who managed to maintain their real estate business during a period of financial crisis.
By prioritizing their clients first and always putting their needs ahead of their own, the authors were able to stay strong in an otherwise collapsing market, developing deep relationships and trust with their customers that allowed them to survive.
Similarly, when times got tough and many other businesses chose to shrink in size or lay off staff, the authors opted for neither.
Instead, they maintained an experienced team by keeping all staff employed who worked even harder out of appreciation.
It goes without saying that investing fully in your customer service can make all the difference during turbulent financial times – and this book serves as proof that putting clients first guarantees smooth sailing for your company, no matter how rocky things get.
Find Joy In Your Job And Build Successful Client Relationships Through Caring And Compassion
If you want true fulfillment in your job, then you need to learn how to truly put your clients first.
Not only should this be something that you know how to do, but it’s even more important to enjoy putting them first!
Joseph found himself in a situation where he had little choice but to work as a housekeeper at a local hospital.
But instead of simply going through the motions and settling with the basic job requirements, he went above and beyond and his commitment didn’t go unnoticed.
His manager praised him for doing an excellent job – one she had never seen before.
And Joseph found fulfilling in that recognition!
That being said, businesses are all about people and understanding their needs.
In order for Joseph to build successful customer relationships, he chose another approach: instead of talking about real estate when visiting his neighbors each day, Joseph asked questions about them personally.
Time has proved that this caring approach was worth its weight gold – within 12 years Joseph sold one-third of the homes he visited.
So if you’re looking for genuine satisfaction from your job – learning to love putting your clients first is the ticket!
Wrap Up
The final message of Clients First is that success when working with clients comes down to treating them with honesty, competence and care.
This is the key to setting your company apart from the competition while building strong relationships and networks of support.
Tangible advice in the book includes being honest no matter what – even if it’s not convenient.
Honesty creates trust, which will lead to lasting relationships with clients as well as becoming a sought-after professional by others in the industry.
As such, investing time in building good relationships with clients pays off in the end!
