Are You Client Friendly?

There was a teleseminar I was interested in attending last week (promoted in a colleague's e-newsletter) and so I dutifully clicked the "register here" link.

That link took me to another web page (after 3 tries), which gave me another description of the same teleseminar and asked me to "register here". I clicked that second link and it brought me to yet a third page which asked me to, you guessed it, "click here to register".

Enough is enough!

Even though the teleseminar is something I'm interested in and, as an added benefit, it's f'ree, it's just not worth the hassle of TRYING to sign up. I gave up at the third registration link.

So I have to ask you, are you "client friendly" - that is, are you easy to do business with?

Do your clients cringe in frustration when trying to order something or pay you for services or do you make it as easy as possible?

Here are just a few things you must incorporate into your business to be "client friendly":

1. Accept different payment methods.

Even though many of us live in an "online bubble", reality is that many people aren't comfortable with paying online. As a result, offer your clients the option of printing your order form and faxing it in or consider accepting checks and money orders.

The slight inconvenience to you will be more than made up for by the number of increased sign-ups and sales.

2. Minimize the clicks.

The more hoops you make your clients jump through, the less likely they're going to do it. Our attention span is short and it's very easy to click over to another website.

Recognize that and adapt your business accordingly.

3. Accept multiple payments.

Many people (and business owners) live on budgets and use credit these days -- by offering payment plans which allow customers to spread out their payments, you make it easier for them to do business with you.

Your business systems must take into account that we are, as a people, too busy and overwhelmed with different things competing for our attention. The easier you make it for us to do business with you, the more likely we will, and in greater quantities.

Your Coaching Challenge

I've seen an overwhelming amount of emails lately from people professing to teach systems and processes and yet working with their businesses is tantamount to running a gauntlet: emails aren't responded to, product links don't work or take you through a maze before you can actually order, etc.

In setting up the systems for your business, I challenge you to pretend you are your own client and go through all the same steps your clients and prospects must experience.

Then improve your process.

After you go through the steps, ask someone who is NOT familiar with your business to go through the same steps.

Then further refine and improve.