Exactly What Happens When You Treat Each Client Like A VIP Client

(before you read this, be sure that know your own strengths. need help? try this assessment.)

Why doesn't every ticket to a concert include a backstage pass, a priority seat and unlimited refreshments? There wouldn't be enough to go around. There are a limited number of resources and they must be delegated appropriately. The artist only has so much time and bandwidth for personal one-on-one engagements. Not everyone has paid the increased price for special treatment or committed the time required to indulge in the extras. VIP Experiences are selective.

Creating VIP Experiences for all of your clients means you are spending more time, intentionality, resources and strategy. When every client is getting a top level experience, you're left with minimal capacity to grow your business. VIP Experiences, done correctly, require more from you. When you give every client VIP treatment, you don't reserve anything unseen or special for your top level customers. By holding nothing back, you sell yourself and your brand short. You go all out, all in - for all people. That is exhausting.

VIP Experiences not only require more from you, they also require more from your clients. You expect your clients receiving VIP treatment to engage in deeper discussions, work harder and invest more time and resources along the way. Not every client wants or needs the extra. Some clients are only ready to take the first step. They have no more to give than the minimum. What happens is you end up spending too much time and resources on clients that aren't engaged at that high of a level and simply don't want to be - crippling your growth. So, where do you go from here?

You are not going to compromise excellence or quality customer service by not giving every client a VIP experience.

Your quality should remain the same at every level of service. There is no doubt of the importance of upholding excellence in your services and products. However, you simply scale back the quantity and the extras you provide. A first step in this process is segmenting your clients. Make a quick list of the 3-5 things you value most in your clients. Go down your full client list and give them points based on how many of the top values on your list that they exemplify. For example, I may value clients who are motivated to implement next steps, who earn more than $100,000/year, who value referrals and who are involved in the community. I would take this list and score my clients accordingly. For each quality they exemplify, they get 1 point.

The clients who received 4 out of 4 points would be my VIP clients. They will receive extra coaching time during business transitions, increased WOW gifts from me, more value content throughout the week and a quarterly onsite visit. That means any client who doesn't score as a VIP would get a scaled back experience. A high quality experience, but not the VIP Experience.

Many people exhaust themselves and their resources on the clients who are, in reality, base level clients. 'Pulling out all the stops' must be reserved for clients who fit your selective VIP list.

Tiering your clients gives you a baseline to start assessing how much you're investing on your Top Level and Base Level clients. Take time to list out your clients, top values and VIP services. Take an honest look at what clients qualify and compare that with the experience you've been giving them.

Your services are powerful and your time is valuable. Invest them both wisely!