How to Grow Your Business – Top Tip # 8 – Exceed Expectations

Posted by Bennie Groenewald on 18 May 2018.



Bennie Groenewald

LLM Tax Law, B.Proc, HDip Tax

The Tax Shop Head Office

More about Bennie Groenewald

After having qualified and practiced as a Commercial lawyer Bennie worked in the Banking and Financial services industry for 25 years across multiple market segments in South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK, the last 14 years of which in senior and executive leadership positions. During this time, he dealt extensively with cross-border banking and finance including project finance, asset finance, debt capital markets and derivatives, including the legal aspects thereof. In recent years, Bennie has played an active leading role in investment, credit and risk management as well as sound corporate governance.

In today’s competitive business environment, meeting your clients’ expectations just isn’t good enough.

The golden rule is to listen to what your clients need and then give them more. They will notice and appreciate your extra efforts and in return, you will earn their loyalty. The following 8 guidelines will make a favourable impression on your clients.

  1. Manage your customers’ expectations and know what their anticipated deadlines are. By having an understanding of the expected performance will enable you to exceed what might be described as “acceptable performance”.
  2. Understand why clients contact you. In order to exceed your clients’ expectations and build lasting, lucrative relationships, you first have to understand what their real needs are. What appeals to them and what do they really like?
  3. Get it right with the first impression. It is said that “first impressions are lasting impressions”, and that becomes your personal brand and builds repeat business.
  4. Be proactive, not reactive. Clients don’t want to waste their time addressing problems. So, stand out from the crowd by contacting your clients to update them before they’ve had a chance to enquire. This approach creates trust and loyalty that lasts well into the future.
  5. Do the unexpected. Send an update report, birthday card or thank you note. Doing the unexpected makes clients feel important and appreciated, helping to retain them.
  6. Personalise each interaction. Greet people by their preferred names and treat each client that you are dealing with at the moment, that he or she is the most important person in the world. Often, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
  7. Speed up delivery of your product or service to exceed your clients’ expectations.Find ways to speed up delivery and ensure that clients understand the process and time it will take. That will leave them with a positive feeling about your business.
  8. Create consistency across all channels of communication. Clients expect a high level of service and fast knowledgeable responses – whether you’re using phone, email, chat or social media. This interface is where intelligent workflow really pays off.

Always keep in mind that a client’s reaction and impression is an effect produced on senses, mind or emotions. Your interaction will create a perception that your customer will use to judge the reliability of your product or service.

Put yourself in their shoes and think about what they may be looking for and what will appeal to them. Any client that feels valued, will return. It’s often something small but significant that impresses people the most and makes them feel special.

Remember, by solving your clients’ problems and frustrations you create value, one of the key points in growing a successful business. If your business can differentiate itself from competitors, by exceeding your clients’ expectations, you will find them talking about your business and what is more powerful than word of mouth marketing. You will convert a pleased client into an active and passionate brand ambassador.

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