{"id":9864,"date":"2020-12-02T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookedin.com\/?p=9864"},"modified":"2020-11-30T15:20:22","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T21:20:22","slug":"how-to-figure-out-what-clients-really-want","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookedin.com\/blog\/how-to-figure-out-what-clients-really-want\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Figure Out What Clients Really Want"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019re not a mind reader, and you shouldn\u2019t want to be. There are <\/span>waaaaay<\/span><\/i> too many ethical concerns with mind reading. I can understand <\/span>wanting<\/span><\/i> to be a mind reader, though – that way, you\u2019d always know what the people around you really wanted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Lorelai<\/p>\n

*Reading Lorelai\u2019s mind would give you enough of a second-hand caffeine high to last a week<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, most people are very honest, and they\u2019ll tell you what they want if you ask them. We\u2019re going to look at the <\/span>ways<\/span><\/i> you can ask your clients what they want, and the ways you can find out what they want even if <\/em><\/span>they\u2019re not sure themselves<\/span><\/em>.<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we get into all of that good stuff, though, I want to remind you that there are some people whose minds you would <\/span>never<\/span><\/i> want to read (and I\u2019ll leave it to your imagination to fill in those blanks). <\/span><\/p>\n

With that in mind, we come to our first exciting topic of the day\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Find out what clients YOU really want<\/b><\/h2>\n

Imagine this: a customer walks into your business, late for their appointment. <\/span>Then during<\/em><\/span> their appointment, they complain constantly, ask you to re-do work once you\u2019ve done it, take up <\/span>far<\/span><\/i> more than their allotted time, then use coupons they\u2019ve saved over years to reduce their bill by 60%. They go home, leave a 1-star review on Google, and go about their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you care what this customer really wants? Is this the kind of customer you\u2019re trying to <\/span>attract<\/span><\/i> to your business? <\/span>Obviously<\/span><\/i> not. We\u2019re not going to focus on this person – we\u2019re going to find the clients you <\/span>actually <\/span><\/i>want.<\/span><\/p>\n

To do this, you\u2019re going to create customer personas. The <\/span>simplest<\/span><\/i> way of going about this is to go through your customer list. Sort customers by demographic data, average spend, frequency of visits, and other relevant factors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve got your data sorted, try to align it in meaningful ways that make sense to you. A hair salon, for example, might have a customer persona they call Terri Trendsetter. They\u2019re a millennial professional who comes into the salon on a monthly(ish) basis. They\u2019re willing to spend more than your average person on trying new styles and extras like coloring. They <\/span>love<\/span><\/i> the salon, and tell all of their friends about it. They\u2019re an ideal customer because they\u2019re:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Loyal to the salon<\/span><\/li>\n
  • A frequent visitor<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Willing to spend extra for the best look<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Growing your business through word of mouth<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Personas like Terri are the kind of people you want to serve best. You can (and should) take the time to find out what other customers want, and you should have multiple customer personas. Focus your efforts on your best customers, though, and you might find your efforts bear more fruits.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"brown<\/p>\n

    Talk to Them<\/b><\/h2>\n

    The <\/span>easiest<\/span><\/i> way to find out what your clients want is…well, to ask them! They\u2019ll tell you what they want (what they really, really want).<\/span><\/p>\n

    Now, I know that can be difficult for a lot of people. For some reason, we can talk to our clients about their day, and, in many cases, their relationships, careers, ambitions, goals, and dreams – but not about how we can serve them better. Maybe it seems too sales pitchy. Maybe you don\u2019t want to make it all about you. Sound familiar?<\/span><\/p>\n

    If it does, <\/span>don\u2019t worry<\/span><\/i>. We\u2019ve all been there. Here\u2019s the most important thing to remember: your clients <\/span>want<\/span><\/i> the best service from you. They <\/span>want<\/span><\/i> to help you serve them better. The best way to start is with regulars – people you already know and trust, people who probably fall under the category of your \u201cbest\u201d persona.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Want to do something a bit wild to learn from your customers <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> celebrate them? Pick some of your best\/favorite customers from your list and throw them a party. Seriously – who doesn\u2019t like parties (even if they have to happen over Zoom)? Tell them the purpose of the party is to learn from them about how you can improve your business. Get cake. Go wild. You <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> your customers will enjoy it and benefit <\/span>immensely.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n