A combination of narrative points and short blurbs, this book offers readers both the fundamentals of client service along with a plethora of thought-starting stories.
In What Clients Love, Harry Beckwith shares tips and thought starters to use in any business. These aren’t the basics of customer service such as follow up after the sale and answer the phone properly. These ideas require us to step outside our businesses and become observers of our businesses.
Some tips jumped out to me: 1. Avoid “nice.” If everybody feels comfortable with our idea, it isn’t an idea. It’s an imitation. Push beyond that toward the edge, toward something so distinctive it resonates powerfully with a few. 2. Stop listening and start looking. Few people will admit to drinking too much, fudging expense reports or loving Twinkies. Don’t listen to your clients. Watch what they do. 3. Question experts. Beware of expert advice. Too often, the expert is applying previous experiences to a current one. But any time we apply the lessons of one experience to another, we assume those two experiences are identical, and they never are. 4. You must become more personal, not less. Electronic messages seem impersonal. Soon the relationship seems impersonal, too. The Internet lulls us into thinking that electronic communication can replace face-to-face contact. The Internet can lead us to neglect our relationships, which we cannot.
Like so many books you read about here each month, Beckwith’s book is loaded with tools and information that any business can implement. This book certainly jump started my creative thinking about my business.
One reviewer asserts “Beckwith provides insight into what customers experience and expect, together with a prescription as to what to do about it.” As I read through the book, I somewhat disagree. I found my mind exploding with ideas about my business. Certainly Beckwith provides insights and examples that can be used in business. My experience was that the examples and tips inspired my own creative brainstorming about my business. Within a few dozen pages, I had developed a to-do list for my own business that is transforming my customer service plan.
So many entrepreneurs become overwhelmed by what not to do in their business, they often don’t do anything. Beckwith shares one point that is critical for any business owner. If you only take one thing away from this column, I hope it’s this:
Good beats perfect. Can everyone agree on what is best? Once they agree, how long will it take to execute that “best” tactic? Can it really be executed efficiently, swiftly and well? Excellence beats perfect every time.
