End-All Be-All for Client Retention
For the last week or so, I’ve been reflecting on my first job at age 16. I got a job at Carl’s Jr. (a fast food restaurant) to carry customers’ trays from the counter to their tables. I also made sure the dining room was tidy and kept an eye on the stock levels of the ketchup packets and napkins.
I wanted to do the best job I possibly could.
Before long, I took care of the customers in the entire large dining room on my own — and got tips! Have you ever seen someone tip a fast-food restaurant worker? Well, it happened to me, and it happened often
I didn’t hover around the customers, but I kept an eye on things. I was looking for what I needed to do as well as what I could do. I was looking for ways to create a more enjoyable dining experience. People noticed, and they rewarded me with cash tips that lined my pockets.
I’ve carried that same servicial (Spanish for helpful) spirit into my work today. It’s just part of who I am. And that spirit helps me stay in rapport with my clients.
What’s rapport? It’s the process of matching and mirroring another person until the process becomes unconscious, and then BAM! You're in rapport with your person. And when you’re in rapport with another human, it’s natural to feel at ease, to relax, and feel wonderful in their company, and they in yours.
A few NLP principles are particularly helpful in aiding my ability to be in and maintain rapport with my clients:
- Perception is projection.
- Everyone is doing the best they can.
- The meaning of communication is the response you get.
- The map is not the territory.
Blend these principles together, and you have a recipe for seeing yourself in your clients, accepting them, and genuinely desiring to be of service to them.
You’ll be able to…
- Care deeply about who you serve and hold onto the vision of the thing they’re wanting.
- Establish rapport in easy and effortless ways.
- Get plugged into their vision of their future.
- Check-in with them regularly in an authentic way.
All of this translates into genuine care and concern for your clients. Once you cultivate this spirit, it won’t even feel like work. There’s no better way to effortlessly retain your clients.
Thanks for listening!
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