You’ve just gotten off a sales call and your prospect said yes!
Exciting!
Now you’re ready to start the onboarding process.
While your own emotions are sitting at pure excitment, your new client is going through something a little more complex.
Excitment over…
…making this investment in themselves.
…finally getting this task off their plate.
…having the support they need to grow their business.
But there’s also a psychological phenomenon taking place… buyers remorse.
Buyers remorse is a psychological event that sets in as the excitment of a purchase begins to fade. The higher ticket the purchase, the stronger these feelings of remorse can become. But the good news is it can be soothed with a great customer experience.
In a recent conversation, Sylvie, a financial advisor shared with me that although she has great customer service her clients were feeling a little left in the dark the first couple months of their work together. Here’s what she shared:
In the first couple weeks of onboarding a new client there was a ton of communication as her team collected information for their work together.
After receiving all the info they needed, the team would dive in and get to work. In this instance, that work could take anywhere from 1-2 months.
After a month or two, the client would check in.
Sylvie and her team immediately felt guilty. While they’d been hard at work, their client was wondering what was going on. Their initial excitement of working with Sylvie waning as time passed.
However, once the client saw all the hard work being done, they were relieved and once again, excited.
And from there things naturally fell into a more regular routine. At that point once the initial work was done Sylvie and her team were doing regular maintenance. The client was being contacted on a regular basis and knew exactly what to expect.
Sylvie’s situation is not unique. I hear similar stories from service providers across a plethora of industries.
You sign the client, collect information and then put your head down and get to work. Meanwhile your client is taking their first plunge on the emotional roller coaster of investing in high-ticket services.
They’re wondering…
…how’s the work going? Has it even been started?
…are they waiting on me for something?
…should I reach out to them and check in?
Excitment and curiosity begin to wane and anxiety sets in. If left unchecked that anxiety turns to disappointment and disappointment to anger.
Now anger is the extreme.
If you’re reading this, I’m betting you have clients who adore you.
But you are also aware of sticky points of anxiety in your process and are and looking for a way to sooth the emotions.
Here’s where investing in an onboarding kit can make a big impact.
Put your self in Sylvie’s shoes.
Now imagine you sent out an onboarding kit in the middle of that head down work.
It arrives on the client’s doorstep clearly branded so they immediately know its from your team. They open it with excitment.
Inside there’s a handwritten note from you — acknowledging their emotions and assuring them of your progress, an assortment of items that will enhance your work together, and a personalized gift.
Can you feel how special that is?
Your client reaches out to thank you. You have a short email exchange and let them know when they can expect to hear from you next.
Just as they were about to slip into that anxiety, you showed up in an unexpected way.
Not just another email. A physical touchpoint that surprised and delighted them. Re-validating their decision to work with you and anchoring their connection with you.
Now that’s impact.
Can you identify the point in your process where an onboarding kit would have the most impact? Comment below and let’s discuss.
And if you’re ready to invest in your own magical onboarding experience, book a call to get started.