3 Ways We Increase Client Value at Ellevated Outcomes

Before Ellevated Outcomes, I spent 11 years working in high net worth financial services. People often find this factoid about my professional experience intriguing (and I must say: my career in this market taught me everything; I loved it). But I share this to say: I know the high-end market, and I know the client experience and service expectations needed to increase client value.

And though some people have a hard time making the connection between my former and current careers, to me, the parallels are uncanny. To be competitive as a small business, you must be distinct. Differentiated. And realistically, as a small business, the resources of scale are not on your side. More bluntly, you don’t have excess money to throw at problems or to buy market share. Instead, your differentiation must come creatively. Scrappily, even. And the simplest, smartest, and most meaningful way to do so: increase client value with personalized experience and service.

So even though Ellevated Outcomes target market is not high net worth individuals, the same principles apply. For we too, are a small business who differentiates ourselves with client intimacy. So as a bit of inspiration, I wanted to share 3 ways we increase client value for our highest value clients. Though these exact actions may not match your business model, I believe the ideas can be adapted, no matter what product or service you sell.

1. We go above and beyond our agreement to get clients outcomes, even faster and more effectively.

This may look like:

• Holding longer and more frequent meetings when we need to roll up our sleeves and dive deep with someone. We call this “workshopping time.” It means that someone is getting extra handholding and care; and therefore, they spend less CEO time alone, trying to solve a problem or do their CEO [home]work.
• Doing extra industry research on a client’s behalf. For example, ahead of Paige Williams Interior Design‘s annual planning workshop, I read ASID’s 2023 Trends Outlook Report so that I could have another vantage on the market opportunities and threats at play, for our designers and fabricators.
• Proactive in-between touches to say, “Hey, I haven’t heard from you in awhile! How is _____ going? Is there anything I can help you work through right now?” (Hint: there always is; afterall, the “in-between” is where the real work happens).

2. One of our favorites: extra touches of personalized delight.

It may be a handwritten note, a little surprise gift, or a call to say: “Hey, I just wanted to call and tell you that you’re doing great at x, y, z. I’m noticing your effort and the change, and I want to make sure you know it too.” Delight doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. It’s one of those Oprah moments, recognizing that everyone wants to be seen and heard as an individual.

3. Make meaningful and business-impacting connections.

One of the features we tout for our Advisory Practice is our Client Roster. Because we’re priced and positioned to attract a certain level of clientele, our clients are exceptional (businesses and human beings).

We believe Tim Ferriss’s adage that you’re the average of the 5 people you hang out with the most. And we take that seriously – for ourselves and our clients. So another way we go above and beyond to add value, is by making personalized and specific introductions among our clients: be it for

• Business development (our clients who are active in the ecosystem have brought each other hundreds of thousands of dollars in business);
• Working collaborations; or
• Pairing people up who are or have gone through difficult situations. Hearing someone’s experience who’s a few steps ahead of you in a tough moment, can provide the mentorship and hope, to pull through.

And of course, these 3 things culminate in our upcoming Client Appreciation Event. But I really do believe: any business could adapt just one of these value-adding practices for their own business.

But here’s where it all begins: one of the biggest misses I see clients and students make is thinking that once they’ve completed our Simplify Your Business Product & Pricing course, they’re done. When actually, the lifelong work has just begun. Once the analysis and first actions are complete, you must track and monitor the data. And then, you must give your data a J-O-B. Especially these days, people love talking about “the data.” But data is pointless unless a clear “so what?” follows.

One of the most powerful things you can do with this data, is identify where you’re making the most real revenue. Then, increase client value. The sweet spot is the intersection of making the most money while delivering the best service for your target clientele. When you frame the objective this way, everyone wins.

You may be brand new to this idea, or maybe you’ve been tracking for years. Either way, you must collect and organize your data and discover the “so what?”

This Wednesday, I’ll be sharing a step-by-step video, to show you how.