All things being equal, the tie should go to the one that cares the most. About themselves.
There is no question that amazing customer service, with a focus on being responsive to your client, proactive with your process and diligent in maintaining the flow and management of the relationship will do wonders for any project and the clients you seek to serve with your art. While there is certainly a difference between businesses, there need not be given the effort. The idea is that if it is available to everyone, then resting your creative business on the idea a very dangerous thing to do. Of course, this is not to say that you should not have amazing service, you should. It is just to say that it is not enough.
For those that have returning customers, either BtoB or BtoC, what do you do for these customers? How are you making your relationship indispensable to both of you? Are you solving new problems or only being reactive to the problems you are confronted with? How much work are you doing to know, really know these customers?
I see creative businesses invest thousands upon thousands of dollars on PR, marketing, all things social media, networking, conferences. Yet, I hardly ever see a true investment in making their relationships stronger with those that care. I specifically do NOT mean here, commissions, kickbacks, or other similar “grafty” type arrangements. I mean authentic, purposeful investigation of how a client currently lives/operates and what you, your art and your creative business can do to improve that life or operation using your skill set to do just that.
However, let’s go even further. If you are invested in those that care the most about you, treating them differently than those who do not or have not yet demonstrated their willingness to care, then how can you get them to take an even bigger risk with you, your art and your creative business? Duncan Hines. He got offered to put his name to bread and ready made cakes when he was not in the food business? Of course, in hindsight, it made complete sense. But, in the moment, how did Duncan decide to take the risk? Who made him so comfortable as to say, why not? And for those of you who do not have repeat clients (i.e., wedding planners), then how do you surround yourself with those who will push not only you but your clients too? How does the symbiosis work?
In the end, that is where the ultimate value lies: acknowledging that those that care matter more to you, your art and your creative business than those who do not, sure, but also those that are lukewarm. Then because they care, they will be treated differently — first to express value to the relationship and then to deepen it. The work is an active endeavor, meaning spend money on the investigation, not a gift. Think deeply about what problem is not getting solved by your best customers, understand how you might solve it and then invest in doing just that. An example: say you are a high-end florist who works with five key planners in your area. Color is your thing and as much as they appreciate your understanding of color, none of them really get it the way you do. Is there a tutorial — hard copy, video, digital — that you can provide to these planners so that their clients, staff, even colleagues might get a glimpse of what you see as the importance of color? Then with the color book in hand, are you willing to provide five actionable ideas to each planner (twenty-five ideas total) monthly? And not just a “what do you think about this?” but a complete idea with color story, possibly renderings and other media necessary to communicate the idea? Of course, you would like to put the idea to reality, however, the reason to do it is to live across the chasm of the expected into the risk of what might be.
It sounds crazy, too much work and not a guaranteed enough return. Fair point. Then again, when you are in the business of proving how far you can go, stepping up and investing in that proof to those that matter seems like a pretty smart investment to me.
Or you can wait for the phone to ring after you send your gift basket. Your choice.
