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above and beyond: how to work with an affluent clientle

I recently read a story about the Ritz Carlton Hotel that got me to thinking about how to really cater to and take care of a wealthy client, thereby keeping them interested and connected to you and your product or service.

The Ritz Carlton Hotel has a policy that any employee (and I mean, any employee from the housekeeping staff to the desk clerks) can spend up to $2,000 a day (without prior authorization from management) to solve the problems or needs of any of their clients.

Here's the story: A business man was staying at the Ritz in Atlanta before heading out to Hawaii for a presentation (which he was to give). He was on the plane before he realized that he'd forgotten his laptop at in his hotel room in Atlanta. His entire presentation was on the laptop. He called the hotel from the plane and was routed to housekeeping who said that yes, they had found his laptop and asked what he would like them to do with it.

The man asked them to please send it by Federal Express with an early morning delivery so that he'd have it in time for his presentation.

Early the next morning, a woman from Atlanta Ritz Carlton's housekeeping department showed up in Hawaii and handed him his computer. She said, 'This was too important.'

I'm quite certain this man will never stay anywhere but Ritz Carlton when he's in Atlanta, maybe when he's in any city that has a Ritz Carlton. And I'm also quite certain that he told his friends and colleagues about the service he received and that this story has generated a decent amount of publicity for an already well regarded business.

Of course, going the extra mile doesn't mean we have to spend $2,000 a day on our prospects and clients' concerns. It can mean a simple consideration -- a birthday card, a note, a phone call.

On a recent one-on-one call with one of my coaching club students (a financial adviser), she told me a story that perfectly illustrates this point. This student had a one year non-compete clause with her former workplace and it was about to expire. Throughout the year, however, she had maintained a connection with former clients by just sending out birthday cards. One day, one of her former clients called and said, "You know, my husband's financial adviser also sent a birthday card, but instead of addressing it to me, it was addressed to my husband, whose birthday isn't for seven more months."

Costly mistake. And avoidable. The former client is now a current client as a result of not only her prior experience with my student, but also as a result of this consideration.

Attention to detail, going above and beyond, simple pleasantries, even a kind word. . . all of these things not only make other people feel compelled to do business with you, but they make the recipient feel good. Funny thing is, they also have the added bonus of making the person giving them feel good.

Article Source: http://www.dummiesguideto.com

Kenrick Cleveland teaches techniques to earn the business of affluent clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion techniques.

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