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Be Yourself

When our clients are telling their friends about us, they don’t say “give Lifestyle Elements a call, they’ll help you!” Instead, they say, “call Abbie,” or “call Tim,” or “call Carly.”

Why? Because they’re not buying a business or a service. They’re buying a person whom they trust to complete the tasks they would normally do themself.

Instead of being shy or holding back, you’ve got to put yourself out there.Take advantage of this fact in your marketing and show your clients who you are.

Put Your Face On Your Website – and on social media, your flyers, and perhaps even your business car. People want to see you and start to feel comfortable delegating their tasks to you, even before they’ve met you. Knowing that your business is run by ‘real people’ and not the unrealistic persons who populate stock images, will go a long way to making your prospective clients feel comfortable.

Share Personal Stories – There is no doubt that the most popular posts I put on social media or on my website are related to personal stories. Whether it be images of me and my family on an outing, or the story of my wedding or the death of my brother, these stories have really connected with my clients and followers. I’m certainly not an over sharer, in fact I can probably do more in this area. Yet I can see how much people enjoying learning about me, my family, and our staff. We become more real in their mind, so when they are worrying about whether the house will be too messy before our visit, at least they can remind themselves that we are real, imperfect people also.

Don’t Be Afraid To Share Your Weaknesses – Now, you don’t want to continually be talking yourself down. People want a positive, can-do concierge. However, don’t be afraid to let your clients know that you’re not perfect. It is often assumed that a personal concierge is supremely organised, has all the answers, and never runs late or loses anything. We all know this isn’t true (at least I hope not otherwise I’m failing dismally!). I like to make my clients feel comfortable by telling them that I have had to learn organisation the hard way, and that my house is in no way neat and tidy at all time. Maybe organisation and neatness comes naturally to you, but I’m sure there are other weaknesses you worry about. Share them. No doubt at least one of your clients will feel better knowing you’re not perfect.

Celebrate With Them – People also love to hear what is going great in your life. Did you get engaged? Have a baby? Win an award? Go on holiday? Not only do people love to hear these feel good stories, but it gives them the opportunity to chat with you when they see you in person. These stories are great conversation starters and can put you both at ease immediately.

Being yourself, and showing it, is all about making your current and prospective clients feel comfortable with you. If you’re worried it may put some clients off, well frankly this is a good thing. You’re not always going to be someone’s cup of tea and it is better to have these people approach another concierge rather than having to work with someone who dislikes you and how you do things. It will likely not end happily.

Above all else, this is your business and you get to choose how you run it and how you feel while you’re doing it. Wouldn’t it be so much easier to tick off your client’s to do list knowing you are comfortable being yourself? I realise this may be easier said than done, but I hereby give you permission to try.

 

Not sure where your boundaries should be? If you’re a member our forum is a great private, and confidential space to share your concerns and seek the advice of your peers. Head on over and share your story.

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