3 Ways To Improve Your Customer Retention with Fran Smith

• 00:01:31 – The importance of having a great client experience.
• 00:06:18 – It doesn’t matter how big you are, you are still the owner of your business.
• 00:12:19 – The importance of creating an experience that is unique to you.
• 00:15:10 – Why you need to have a minute to think about your customer experience.
• 00:20:14 – Managing clients’ expectations.
• 00:24:44 – Onboarding is just as important as onboarding element.
• 00:28:19 – How to use feedback to improve what you’re doing.
• 00:32:32 – The importance of creating a feeling.
• 00:36:40 – How to get to the next level of your business.

Katie Bell: 0:02

You’re listening to treat your business with Katie Bell, the podcast for health and wellness business owners that want a need to give their business the treatment plan, it needs a treatment plan that will create more time back in your life, more income and more confidence when it comes to running your business. I’m here to share with you bite sized episodes full of tried and tested tips from my own real experience of growing a successful physiotherapy and wellness clinic. And from working with many businesses to do the same. The treat your business podcast is sponsored by hm DG. Marketing is always one of the top three issues for clinic owners that I speak to. It’s too expensive and complicated. They’ve had issues in the past, or they just don’t know where to find a trusted expert. It’s always said only recommend products or services, you’re confident in using yourself. Well, when it comes to marketing, we use HMD G for our own clinic. They’ve proven to be exactly what you’d want from an agency. As a specialist, they understand the industry. They’re responsive and always deliver. We can’t recommend them highly enough. Head to HMD g.co.uk To find out more. Hello, listeners, welcome to this week’s episode of the treat your business podcast. I am very excited to be joined by the gorgeous from from and so the journey begins which front? I’m really excited to talk to you about this far. Because I’ve kind of feel like I’ve been on this journey with you from the beginning. Almost Yes,

Fran Smith: 1:31

you have. So for a bit of context. I am a client experience expert or specialist whichever word you want to use. However, I started my business two years ago, nearly three years ago now as a VA, and I am still do VA stuff from time to time with Katie. And so that’s how we’ve, we’ve, we’ve we’ve known each other a long time now. And you’ve kind of seen me. Basically I do all your client experience. That’s how I know that that’s what I the path I want you to go down because it’s what I enjoy so much. So

Katie Bell: 2:07

it really like from you know, we’ve worked together right from the basically almost the inception of Thrive, haven’t by pretty much and you’ve just had to come along with this crazy journey with me and deal deal with me and all my Yeah, crazy. Yeah, what we both are really passionate about is making sure that our customers and our clients our members feel very well looked after feel like they’re supported. feel like they’re real humans. They’re not just people in a coaching programme that we don’t know, we know them intimately, we know them, well, we care about them. And you are really passionate about that. And you’ve shown me in the last few years, how we can uplevel our customer experience and the journey and really look after people from onboarding clients, looking after them in that fulfilment mode, and then offboarding clients as well. So um, I know that, that listeners, this is kind of like a bit of a curveball thrown in here, because people are gonna think, oh, you know, why is this important to me as a physio clinic owner or as a Pilates studio. But I think what we understand, Fran is that we can teach great marketing, we can teach them how to get clients, we can teach them all about the funnel, and all that kind of, you know, strategic stuff. But if you don’t have this stuff nailed, you are running the risk of just becoming the same as everybody else. So you’re not, you’re not being different. You’re not standing out in the marketplace. And you’re also running the risk of wasting a lot of money, a lot of time and energy on getting those people in. And then if you provide them with, quite frankly, a crappy experience, they’re not going to come back, they’re not going to work with you, again, they’re gonna go elsewhere. There’s a lot of a lot of choices in the marketplace now. And this is where you commit

Fran Smith: 4:08

it is. So basically, everything you’ve said there, if the whole marketing, then you might as well put all that down the toilet, if you haven’t got a client experience, at least mapped out the foundations even to then start building upon, because that’s where it starts is all about continuous improvement. And I know the guys that are listening to this. And if they’re fans of you, there’ll be fans of continuous improvement. And so, as a client in a plant experience specialist, my job is to help my clients show their clients just how much they care. Because I think we said at the beginning there that we all care about our clients. We all care about the results that they get, and we want them to feel that like that. Well they’re with us. I think if you forget about that, if it’s an afterthought, then there’s gonna be a massive disconnect between you and your Client and that’s when they start feeling like they’re just a number and you don’t care and all that kind of thing. So I think it starts with even just sharing more of your real personality and having it as a two way street with your, your communication because it’s great you given over or your, your physio or your Pilates or whatever you’re doing, if they don’t get a bit of you back, there’s there’s no trust, so it’s actually better No, you can slip into like, of course, you have to have a level of professionalism. And that goes without saying in the health care and wellness industry. However, if you don’t give them a little pinch of who you are, and a little bit of your humour or little bit of your, your personality, basically, then there’s not going to be that that trust there and anything to build. And also, like you said at the beginning, makes you stand out from other people in the marketplace, because they will come to you because they like oh, actually. Franz a bit silly or like cuz she, she said she says she’s very straight to the point, she’s not wishy washy or things like that, like people have preferences with who they want to work with. And they’re not going to know that unless you so in your marketing a but then be if it if it isn’t continued into how you deliver your service. So that’s a big thing I would say to start with, for sure.

Katie Bell: 6:22

And because you know business owners, I think we forget that it doesn’t matter how big you are, you are still you are still the owner of your business, she was still the founder, you are still the CEO, you know, in my physio clinic, I don’t see very many patients anymore at all. However, I’m still the face, it’s still my name above the door, and people buy into you, and your community. You know, the way you make people feel is what keeps people coming, not what you do to them. Ultimately, you know that that that’s obviously important, we want to be working within our scope of practice and delivering great results, but it’s about how we make people feel. Exactly. And I always say we need you know, with my team. And in my physio clinic and with you from we’ve always said, we need to be something somebody can’t do without. Because when we make people feel like that, they are funds for life, they stay with you for life, they want to be a part of what you’re delivering. And we we were talking just from where we before we came on the call together on the recording together. We did a retreat recently and thrived in way. And yes, let’s talk about some of the ways that it’s, and you’ve worked with me long enough to know what I like, and what’s important to me. But I bring what’s important to me into our retreats into our events. So let’s give the listeners that kind of flavour of kind of how they can bring their personality into what they deliver.

Fran Smith: 7:59

So with the example of your retreat, and your personality is very much creating experiences and like they’re very much they’re a nurturer in that respect. And so part of that with there was what was you lead with the idea of actually, and I like, did all the rest of it, but is a welcome letter, when the overnight guests arrived to actually say, Look, this is what’s going to happen. Leave every other worry that you have at the door for what you think about your business. Let’s immerse you in what we’re doing here. This is all you need to know, enjoy, type thing. And then it worked. Then it was a case of having like throughout the actual retreat training and things like that it was gifts to enhance what they were already doing. And other things outside of the actual training like yoga, and actually celebrating their success with a meal and drinks and things like that, that that was the whole experience. It wasn’t just bam, here’s the training. Yes, you can deliver an excellent training and think everyone listening to this will agree that you deliver excellent training and advice, but it’s all there. What’s makes it memorable is these little extra bits. So these extra bits are what Katie’s personality all reflects is they’re they’re what I was gonna say high maintenance was really like, high M what’s the word that I’m looking for?

Katie Bell: 9:35

Well, it’s that exceptional XP?

Fran Smith: 9:37

Yes. Yes.

Katie Bell: 9:39

Above and Beyond isn’t it? It’s like they are and because they really are important to you to me to Philip or to Nicola. You know, but we want them to remember it like you just said from when they left the retreat, the things that they remember, yes, they’re going to remember the coaching. But when we get back into our business life, you know We set out to alert that on the retreat and are meant to be doing something about it. What they remember is the feeling of being met with a welcome letter. And, you know, a gorgeous gift bag and the champagne in the VIP drinks reception. And the way that we we put flour, fresh flowers and tea lights on the table with the way we ask them to get changed on arrival, so that they leave their business behind. And they immerse themselves into the way. And and all of these little things that we create, allow people a different emotion and, and a different feeling. And that’s what people buy into, isn’t it?

Fran Smith: 10:38

Yeah. And I’ve realised that when I was looking forward to elevated X, I love it. How elevated? Yeah, yeah. And it’s like, it’s just taking the everyday and making it a bit more extraordinary. That sounds a bit like airy fairy, but it’s, I suppose what I’m getting at. And this is actually what you’re saying with the feeling is what I actually when I work with clients is what I start with is, is all very well having processes and making things efficient. And yes, that all goes into your client experience. Because your client experience is the very first contact contact your client has with you right to the very last contact they have with you. However, those processes mean nothing if you’ve not actually got the intention behind it of well, how? How do I want them to how do I want to make them feel? Do I want them to feel like they trust me or supported or confident about x area of their life? Like how do you want them to feel because that will affect the processes you then choose. Because that will help them feel that certain way. So that’s why I always say to start with this is have a feeling in mind. For me with my clients, it’s getting them excited, inspired and feeling confident about what they’re doing, again, with client experience, because it fan, I think if you’re so busy working in your business, which happens a lot, if you’re a busy clinic owner, if you’re busy, a small business owner, like you’ve got so many plates that you’re trying to spin like busy unit rather than it actually helps if somebody’s looking outside from outside looking in and going actually, these are little gaps you might want to look at are these parts of your foundations that actually could be elevated to make it a stronger experience. Absolutely.

Katie Bell: 12:19

And that if we if we link this into from to I guess, physios pluses instructors, you know, the things that we do in KB that elevates our experiences that we have, from the minute they walk in the door, the clinic smells in a certain way. We have fresh flowers, we have a fridge full of skinny lager, and God knows whatever else, and very expensive coffee, it seems chocolates, and we have, you know, cakes at certain times of the year and things like that. So from the minute they walk in their net, you know, in a certain way that this the team are dressed in a certain way they have a certain approach when clients walk through the door. And you’re you’re but actually your client experience starts way before that doesn’t know.

Fran Smith: 13:08

It does, yeah, it starts like at the end, it starts the minute they get your flyer or like they receive an email from you’d like that’s it, you’re showing yourself in that in that as well. And then obviously works its way into the clinic, like you said, and it’s not a question of Yes, those are brilliant ideas of what people could do based on what you’re doing. However, it isn’t a cookie cutter, your personality isn’t the same as somebody else’s personality. So those things very much reflect who you are. I was not surprised when you told me all those things that you do. Because I’m like, Yeah, that’s key. So to people like I what I do with my clients is I send them a little note in the post a handwritten note, because I’m quite good. My words, I like to think and that’s just a touch of me. So that gets all swings, like swings around. But you have to make that it has to fit in with what you would do not just copying somebody you admire. Yes, it can give you inspiration. However, it’s

Unknown: 14:08

really your values, doesn’t it? Yes, definitely. Yeah, always harping on

Katie Bell: 14:13

about values. So I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about it. But it’s so important because you, you know, when people step in, and actually one of our mastermind clients came for a day at the clinic recently, and he wanted to just be inspired. And I said, Just come just come and be here. Experience it. Yeah. And the biggest takeaway he said was that, he said, It just is you all over is you. I said, but you’re not working anymore. You’re not there. Most of the time. He said, but that’s what what he realised is that he wasn’t going to go and create what I’d created in his clinic. He needs to go and create his version in his

Fran Smith: 14:51

Yeah. 100% Yeah. Yeah. Because that’s that’s where the magic is. That’s what again, that’s what we were saying towards the beginning is that Scott that’s gonna make you stand out from everyone else in your industry is that you? Do you do you? And you do it in an exceptional way? That’s yeah, that’s that’s a great experience.

Katie Bell: 15:10

Definitely. So Fran, you know, busy business owners, busy clinic owners, they haven’t got a minute to have a way past the time, frankly, between pages.

Fran Smith: 15:20

I believe that Yeah,

Katie Bell: 15:21

honestly. So that what we want to encourage people is to, is to be able to look at their customer experience and make sure that this this funnel, this bucket, whatever you want to call, it is not leaking. We’ve got we’re leveraging every element of our customer contact, so that we can increase our revenue, we can increase our margins, all of those things, we can create better experiences, we can have a better reputation. But people will be listening to this thinking. And when exactly do you think I’ve got chuffing time to think about that. And that all sounds like loads of hard work and lots of cost. But it doesn’t have to be costly? No, it can be automated, can’t sit, there can be lots of things you do.

Fran Smith: 16:04

Yeah, there can be lots of things you do that are automated. And also, if you’re an established business, often it’s not. I think whenever I speak to people, it’s a thing, oh my gosh, I’m gonna have to burn the whole thing to the ground and start again, because everything I’m doing is crap. Like, it’s, that’s not the case, like you’re in business and you’re doing like you’ve got like a successful business as it is already. So like, clearly you’re doing something right. However, it’s taking it to the next level, which is then going to push things forwards and everything that Katie always bangs on about is going to happen. So they did say there’s not the need to bend over to the ground. And I think that’s where the idea then thinks all the overwhelm creeps in and go Well, I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to find new system for that. And actually, it’s making simple tweaks to what you’re already doing. Yes, you might have to include an automation here or something else there. But a lot of the processes can be automated, but you just need to include your personality in that. So I think one of the things that I’ve actually worked on with a client recently who is a who is a physio clinic owner, and is actually an ex thrive, and was about setting up automations for a after a client has finished their physio programme and say, well, here are some, here’s some tips for how you can stay well afterwards. This is based on a profile that they they had. So whether it was like an upper body issue or a lower body she will or whatever opportunity or like common injuries it was it was that so based on that and then then another follow up based on actually giving further advice but this time, a bit more generalised and then checking in with them saying how are you getting on and and then it all went from there, one of them was actually asking for feedback and saying actually, this helps us and you can you can get a different cat, you can get an alternative service for others for free, we do a draw each month to invite by giving us feedback that I’ll be that. So he already had the idea himself. But yeah, it’s just things like that you can use as a once the emails written and automated, like that’s done, you can even get somebody to do that as a project, outsource it. And then that’s that’s that’s it done. So I think it’s more just getting your head around the fact that it’s, it’s actually not going to take as much as you think. And it is these tweaks in the little pieces and a lot of them. Yes, like I said before, it’s starting with a feeling of how you want your client to feel that should always be number one. And that’s linked to your values, as we’ve said. But then it’s also one of the other big things that I speak about with clients is setting expectations and setting them well. Because I think where clients can perhaps get well, they where things might go wrong, but then where they might go quiet and you will just quietly not return. And is if they feel like they’re well a they’re not being cared for. But be if their expectations aren’t being met or their distance, some missed a misunderstanding somewhere. And we’ve come across this in drive it can be like a learning processes with how it’s best to communicate. What they need to know when they’re starting off with is like what do I need to know about the programme? What do I need to know about preparing to get involved with it and you can you can kind of transfer that onto how it would be in in a physio clinic like what do you need to know before they come? What are their How’s how’s it like how’s the experience gonna feel first time what’s like, there’s I’m guessing they have like a an assessment and then it goes into treatment plan but like, Oh, if somebody’s coming out how would rambley a little bit here but how I would say to approach it is like if you win in your business, if you’re an outsider come in to have a treatment with yourself, like what questions would you have? And then how can you communicate that in a way that makes them feel how you want them to feel and has a little bit of your personality in it. As personality in it to, that can still be done by email. But just bearing in mind, it doesn’t have to be of dear or kindest regards on it can still, like be how you sound if you were to speak to them in person, if that makes sense. And that makes

Katie Bell: 20:14

from I’m speaking here from, from a that experience of we know what we need to do with our Thrive clients to get to allow them the best preparation for success when managing meet their expectations? Well, from a from a physio perspective, what I think we often forget is that sometimes oftentimes people, when they book their appointment, may have anxieties, concerns, worries, fears, you know, about attempting that appointment, we just think as Visio as well, it’s, you know, we spent half of our degree on clothes, walking around the room, it was never nothing on. And it’s just like what we get used to, and we forget that for other people, it’s quite big deal. It’s quite a deal to come into a place that they don’t know, it’s quite big deal to deal with, perhaps pain that they’ve been dealing with for many years. And that is who they actually are. They are Sally with the back problem. Yeah. So they’re coming into our place thinking, well, if I get rid of my back problem, who are who Who am I now because I’ve always been that problem. So there’s all these things, these factors that are going on and part of, of, I guess, settling those concerns and those worries comes from exactly what you’ve just said, manage their expectations, laying out how things are going to how things are going to be frightened the session. Yeah. And it means people come what you know, when I get on calls with people, people say, Oh, I feel like you already know you. And it’s because we’ve done the work to make them feel relaxed before that call happens. Exactly. When I went to I think I told you from this ages ago, we’ve got a puppy, as you know, it’s called Toby features on Instagram. And I took him to puppy training at a local church hall. Okay, and I mean, wow, what a stressful experience that was. So what, what the reason I’m telling this story is because they didn’t look at what you look at, they didn’t look at the customer experience. So I just bought that puppy training six week thing, paid them on any and then basically what what what email to say like, this is the address that you need to turn apart and turn up at this time.

Unknown: 22:30

Okay, right. So I,

Katie Bell: 22:33

you know, anybody who has a dog who has a lab, I wrestled him into the car. I wrestled him into his harness, you’ve then got you know, pockets full of cheese and liver pate. And God knows whatever else to try and make this dog actually listened to you for the hour. Yeah, and to be there. But when I got there, I didn’t know where I needed to park. I didn’t know I need to be there. Like it was in the middle of COVID. So there was back in COVID boxes that I needed to stand in with Apple Pay will try telling ya. Wow, so I was already stressed with a bright red rash in the house stuck out on end because I was already thinking it’s just not gonna work. So we were late because we couldn’t park properly. I didn’t know that we have to adhere to all these COVID rules, you know? Yeah. I taken a few things but I didn’t hadn’t taken everything. I didn’t know I need water because I didn’t even realise I’ve given loads of treats they’d be more thirsty. So there was all these elements to it. So lo behold the first session was an utter disaster I was completely stressed of wrestling the dog the whole and every part of me from for that whole hour in my ego was going well. We’re not going back to this again. Never again. Yeah, never ever this has been I’ve had to do it and the husband was gone. He was gone they could not bring me back from that at all. So in your in your welfare, if they dealt with that differently if that if they’d sent me a little video of here’s where you can park? Yeah, here’s the entrance. Bear in mind, it’s up, you know, four flights of steps and you dogs gonna argue what there and then when you get there, you need to take a right not a left and it’s going to be a COVID Ken Ham gel thing. And the way you’re going to stand, I would have been so much calmer. Yeah, you know, and and so that’s the important thing, isn’t it? For me, I would never do it again. I’ll never go to that whole format ever again. Because it was I was put off not because I’m sure it will have delivered great results. But it was just it was just all too stressful. And I am not about stress. I don’t need any extra stress. But if they dealt with me in a different way, Fran, that would have been a complete savings to me, wouldn’t it?

Fran Smith: 24:49

It would have died. If they get they wouldn’t really even have to be in an email in a video. It could have been like a couple of bullet points, like at the very basic level to say actually, you might want to pause Kia, we suggest come in 15 minutes earlier, so you can navigate to feeling it’s up some stairs like, that’s like that’s like that’s it like they wouldn’t have, we wouldn’t have taken him that much more to do. And I think it does, this is what I was getting back to before. Like, it’s not like oh, it’s not a massive task to add these extra little bits in. And it’s it’s more like going back to what we’re saying about physio clinics as well is that it’s about fret, like you can have the initial welcome and go, we’re excited to have you with us. And this is this is what to briefly expect. But then you can also set up if you know, they’ve got these anxieties and worries like for the dog trainers, as welcomed like, well, we know that it’s a bit stressful coming to your first session, we wanted to help ease that here’s, here’s to Hana, here’s how to prepare at home before you get before you get there. And here’s a little bit to know about the venue as well. But it can be the same with your physio clinic. And like, actually, especially, for example, if somebody’s having a women’s health physio, actually, it involves an internal part as well, which I didn’t know about. And I had it as like, Okay, we’re here, right? Let’s just crack on like, this wasn’t at your clinic, I’ll preface that we live in different cities, but like, that’s quite yes, if you’ve had a child, like there’s parts of you thinking everyone’s seen, it just happens. But it’s still like, it’s, it’s a sensitive issue. And it can feel quite embarrassing. So things like that, as well as the whole identity thing, if they’ve got this back pain and all that kind of thing. Like it’s, it’s setting them set up to frame it in a certain way, it’s starting to help them think about things in a different way. And that all leads into your service as well, if that makes sense.

Katie Bell: 26:40

I so it’s so important. And then I guess just to talk to talk to quite a lot front about kind of preparing people for visiting us, you know, from that initial touch point through, they, they start to see your business running in a certain way they see that level of professionalism, they see that level of organisation actually, that I’m in a safe place here. This is a good place for me to go. But then I think what people forget is that kind of offboarding elements, which is just as important as onboarding element isn’t that, you know, people will naturally always leave your business that will naturally be a churn rate. Having a great customer experience reduces that churn, right. But as people leave you, you should, you should have a great onboarding.

Fran Smith: 27:28

And I like to actually call it aftercare as well, because it is your like, yeah, you nurturing them afterwards as well. I mean, I think with thrive, not Well, I will to own horn here, but there’s a lot of the guys from Thrive has gone through the foundational programme, and then they’ve in the mastermind and stayed in the mastermind for years, like some of some of them have been with Thrive new enough for the whole time that drives been a business because of that experience that we’ve created. And I think with with that stop, they’ve just naturally gone from one service to another rather than leaving completely and that’s through the nurture throughout providing the programme and the coaching. And then giving them opportunity for feedback as well and listening to that, because that can be actually really key part of your aftercare. Yes, your it’s great for you to share testimonials and share it in whatever marketing that you’re doing. But actually, requesting feedback can be a really useful tool for you to improve what you’re doing. So whether that’s they wanted to know something more before they arrived, or whether something didn’t click with whatever the service was that they were having, and or whatever it is like it can be, I think people can also be quite scared of feedback, because it’s like, oh, no, I’m doing something wrong. Yes, it can feel uncomfortable, but it’s actually a tool to help you improve what you’re already doing. So there’s that aspect side of things, but also celebrating what they’ve achieved throughout their time with you. So in thrive on the foundational programme, they get a this is very key, they get a bottle of champagne, to celebrate and raise a glass to the fact that they’ve gone through this transformation with their business. And it’s it deserves toasting. So obviously, it wouldn’t look like that in a Visio clinic. But it’s there’s there’s ways of doing that. And it doesn’t have to cost an awful lot of money either. Really, it can be just recognising that actually you’ve you felt like this before you fill in like this now. That’s a great great in itself. And here’s a little token of our appreciation.

Katie Bell: 29:38

Right you choose knows, it can be words, it can be a gift, it can be a small gift, it can be you know, it’s more about the recognition. It’s more about, you know, we’ve recently done something again, just to give our listeners some inspiration. We have a big Pilates community, and we got all of our plus instructors to nominate a member of the Year from that That’s, and these nominations were like the batters went through reasons why they’ve been nominated. And we gave them a certificate and we gave them like, a bottle of something or a bouquet of flowers. But it was a small recognition of your journey over the last year. Now, all of those members are going to stay with us longer, because we recognise that they are they have come from A to B, and we’ve been vital in that process. But they’ve also committed the time and the energy and the money to get themselves Yeah. And then I as the business owner drew one person out of the hat to be the overall winner. And that person, I cannot tell you what it meant to them to receive a basket of blooming daffodils, essentially, it’s what it was a spring basket, but it was it totally elevated her whole experience. She was telling everybody about it, it created a conversational point for her friends, you know, so just in itself, that that next layer is, is that visibility for you as the business because they can talk about you in such a positive way.

Fran Smith: 31:09

And I think the reason why if we get into the nitty gritty of why she would have done that is because her expectations were fully exceeded there like she, like she goes to class. Yes, she’s doing it for to feel better to move better. But like she was she’s not expecting to have, like all this appreciation from the entirety of the clinic, essentially, other than Pilates team. Like I’ve, I’ve said something positive about it, and then you’ve picked her and it’s like, oh, wow, actually, like that’s, that’s the difference that you’re like being recognised actually makes a bigger emotional impact. So when somebody’s emotionally invested in what they’re doing with you, that’s when that’s the that’s the magic, that’s when they’re going to stick with you. That’s because they can be they can the brain can tell them that yeah, this is working for me, like I’m getting this result, feeling stronger, whatever it is. But actually, when they know that, clearly, that was a demonstration of how much he cared about your Pilates community. Even though I’m guessing even the ladies that all men that weren’t involved in that was well, we’re enjoying all the the the whole aspect of it. So it creates that momentum as well. So yeah, emotional investment was the point that

Katie Bell: 32:31

people buy emotionally. And they justify logically. Yeah, so we and it’s what we said right at the beginning, you’ve got to it’s about creating a feeling. And people buy into that feeling people won’t leave that feeling because they then think I can’t do without that I can’t go and get that from that place down the road. No, I can’t go and get over the mainstream jet. And that’s what makes you different.

Fran Smith: 32:57

100% Yeah. And it’s, there’s this, there’s so many, I suppose to kind of recap, what we’ve touched on is the feeling, being keeping that front and centre of everything that you do with the processes with how you communicate in everything like that, and then being authentically yourself. And leaning into that. And actually, it’s as we’ve said several times throughout this is using that as your like special superpower to make you stand out from the crowd, but also to deliver a service that is uniquely you and actually, like it was will like will build that trust as well in with it is what I’m getting at. And then the other one is setting really clear expectations and positively framing scenarios and basically going through every possible scenario in your head that a client could have and then use that. Use your communication use your care and energy to reframe that for them before they even step foot in the door.

Katie Bell: 33:59

I think just to touch on that last point from very quickly, you know, many clinic owners, many studio owners listen to this really, we often struggle with boundaries, because we’re people pleasers, we want to open and you can absolutely over deliver with a boundary. Yes, but that only comes from having a process and a system in place that you help business owners put together.

Fran Smith: 34:24

Yeah, exactly. And I like I always so this is like this is an example that I’m going to give that isn’t hugely relevant to clickers, but hopefully you’ll see what I’m getting at it with it anyway. So I worked with a photographer client she’s like oh yeah hand deliver the prints I was like wow, I was that’s already my my expectations will be exceeded. She’s like, I could actually put them up put it up for them couldn’t ask like well, you could but is that sustainable as your business grows? It’s it’s not sustainable, because I can tell you right now you’re not gonna have time she had a family as well, but you can’t you Don’t be doing that. That’s the she’s like, Oh, no, but like, it would be great. It’s like, Nope, that’s not it’s not going to be you’ve already exceeded the expectations, you don’t need to burn yourself out to kind of Yeah, so that is just that was having a boundary and it doesn’t need to be. I think it’s I think anyone in the in the service related business is is a people pleaser. And I think it’s more just being clear with, again, something that I bang on about quite a lot is like email, auto responses having them on all the time. So somebody knows, actually not ignoring them, you’re, it takes about 24 hours to hear back from you. Here’s why. Because I’m in clinic, or like X, Y, Zed, like, here’s all the ways you can contact me, or you can book clicking this link, like that’s, that can be a really easy way of actually go, Oh, they’re gonna get this anyway. Like, they don’t, I don’t need to be on my emails all the time, I can have a set, like can check and first thing and last thing or whenever or just or just at lunchtime, because the rest of the time they’re gonna get an auto response saying, Actually, I’m in clinic, but I, you, this email is important to me, or however you want to phrase it, I’ll get back to you, usually within this timeframe. And if you set it has a longer timeframe, then you know, that you’ll actually get back to him again, that’s already exceeded. So I always I always say two, three days. Normally, it’s a day, I get that to happen. So

Katie Bell: 36:21

yeah, simple, easy thing you can do from us. It’s so good. Fran, I have loved this, I literally could just all their life experiences are so important to me. If people are listening to this, Fran, I’m like, okay, my customer experience is a bag of shit. And I need to

Fran Smith: 36:37

I’m sure it isn’t. Because most people have good basics. Like I say, but yeah, they do

Katie Bell: 36:43

if they want to uplevel if they want to get to that next step, they want to elevate it, you want to elevate it from how can they come and talk to you? Because I know that you you offer some kind of initial calls with people and people can talk to you about their process and you can, how can they reach out to you? Where can they get so

Fran Smith: 37:02

the best the best place to find me, it’s probably the only place to find me at the moment that will change soon is on my Instagram. So I’m at and so the journey begins Dotco on Instagram. So that’s where you find me like I share lots of tips and advice on there. And I suppose that you get in those ways that people can work with me. So yes, if somebody’s out, I generally have an application bug, which goes a little bit into your values. And actually what you’re looking for to make sure we’re probably the right fit to work together. But I have options for like, like in and out quick sessions power hours, where if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, because you know, actually things are pretty good. But I just want to there’s a need to like my aftercare could probably be a bit better, something like that is is one thing you want to look at, that’s a Power Hour, we can I can give you lots of ideas and action steps. If you think actually, it’s gonna be a bit of a bigger job, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and normal, some of my processes probably need looking at, I offer half day sessions over video call. And then if you want a full rework, if everything’s kind of just you’re perhaps expanding to another premises or you’re introducing different services, it’s a lot for you to consider, then I would recommend a full VIP day session. And that’s when I come to you there’s only certain set certain cities that I do that in just because I again, this is a boundary for me because I ever found myself to think like what’s realistic for me to have time away. But they’re probably the biggies have also just introduced Voxer support, which is business WhatsApp, basically where I can be in your pocket and you can brainstorm ideas with me, but that’s more of an ongoing support. But that’s sort of that’s all the different ways in brief that you can work with me and basically come say hello and see what I’m about on if you’ve enjoyed my wisdom, then you can probably have a look and see actually, what this from like what she’s about. And that’s all on my Instagram.

Katie Bell: 38:58

Yeah, and I you’ve got to see front and addressing now. I’m gonna leave.

Unknown: 39:03

Yeah,

Fran Smith: 39:05

that’s the point we’re gonna leave.

Katie Bell: 39:11

It has been an absolute pleasure of interviewing you today. Thank you for giving your time to our listeners so that they can elevate their customer experience and I hope people do prevent me see you in your dressing. Yeah.

Fran Smith: 39:24

Thanks, it was a treat. Thank you for having me.

Katie Bell: 39:28

You’re welcome from thanks for joining us and please tune in again next week on the treat your business podcast. Thank you for listening to treat your business with Katie Bell, the podcast that tells you what you really need to hear. And now when it comes to running a successful business in the health and wellness industry that gives you the time, money and freedom you are wanting for access to our free workshops on how to get more clients in your business, how to make more income in the next 30 days. And to get more time back in your business and life. Head to our free Facebook group. Today treat your business or head over to thrive dash business coaching.com All of the links are available in the show notes