Yesterday on Clubhouse (an audio only social media platform), I shared these 7 action items that my law firm and consulting services are focusing on while moving forward with business in 2021. The ideas were well received and so I’m sharing them here too.
The goal is to take what my different business teams learned in 2020 and use that information to better serve our clients while protecting the long-term viability of our businesses moving forward in 2021. Most of these ideas we actually initiated years ago but, we’re improving upon what we’ve been doing because of the lessons we’ve learned from COVID-19, social distancing and working from home. I hope these ideas plant a few seeds giving you new ideas moving forward.
#1 Communicate with clients the way THEY want to be communicated to.
Our clients and customers all have a lot on their plates right now. With this in mind, do your best to communicate with them in a way that reduces friction and makes it as easy as possible. If a client wants updates by text, give them text updates. If a client wants to see your smiling face via Zoom, use Zoom. Give clients what they want and you’ll be thought of as part of the solution and not the problem.
#2: Build life-long relationships: Pay attention to who promotes you. Stay top-of-mind by paying attention to your brand advocates.
If there’s one thing we learned in 2020, it’s that relationships matter. People who like, respect and trust you, will go out of their way to help you. They understand when things take a bit longer because services are delayed or shut down (our courthouses are basically closed), that we’re all in this together. As a matter of fact, because they trust you, they rely upon you more than ever in times of need.
#3: Understand who your clients are. Organize them based upon key attributes.
Pay attention to who your clients are. Keep track of what they do for a living and their professional and personal interests. This allows you to personalize your communications with each and every one of them. All else being equal, the personal attention to detail matters, especially when health and safety circumstances is keeping us apart. Connecting as human beings has never been more important and knowing the details allows you to do this.
#4: Be agile and build out your business in the cloud.
Offer your clients access to your products and services 24/7 via their phone, tablet, laptop or desktop. Make it easy for your clients to get answers to their questions. Create a new client experience that isn’t dependent on the client having to travel to your office for solutions. Yes, you can still offer physical services but, compliment them with an easy to use cloud based mobile service. Clients need to have this option.
#5: Diversify. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Give thought to how you can expand the products and services you offer to your clients. Taking the concepts shared here into consideration, what additional things and value can you offer that will allow income to continue coming in even if your primary service is shut down because of a virus or state order? Think about adding a consulting related service to your product inventory. Providing this service via email or text allows you to stay “open” when everything else is shut down.
#6: Set up subscription-based services that also revolve around community and connection
Are you able to compliment the products and services that you provide with a monthly or annual subscription based paid service? For all of the reasons mentioned above, give thought to adding value by creating a membership site. When you do this, build it around creating a community that encourages people to network and connect with each other. Add value that you were not able to offer with your traditional business model.
#7: Develop, improve and build your 24/7 global digital personal brand.
Remember that we’re living in a new world where everything is a click, swipe or tap away using a mobile phone. Also keep in mind that every potential client or referral source is digesting your digital content 24/7 from all around the world. Create and build your personal digital brand, and the way you offer your products and services, with this new reality in mind.
Conclusion
We’re putting what we’ve learned this past year to use to better serve our clients and protect our businesses. We hope you do too.
If we’ve given you any new ideas, please share your feedback in the comments or in a private message. If you have any suggestions that you feel we’ve missed, share those too. After all, we’re all in this together and working together as a community allows all of us to experience success.
Stay safe, enjoy the journey, and never stop making each day your masterpiece.
In the business world, the importance of building relationships with others can’t be understated. Not only does this help with creating a social media presence, but it’s possible that those relationships can help create new business moving forward.