A few months back, I made a mistake with a client.
They needed a software recommendation, I proposed a tool I've had experience with but it turned out the solution had gone downhill since the last time I used it.
We were in the early stages of the integration and we hadn't wasted a ton of time. But they had planned their budget based on that tool.
So I decided to make an investment.
I proposed a new, more high-end solution to the client that would more than satisfy their needs. And I also proposed to cover the difference between the two tools for a year. We'll probably end our work together way earlier than that but it doesn't matter. It's an investment.
I'm investing in trust. I'm investing in my reputation. I'm showing that I'm owning up to the mistakes that are my fault. I'm investing in the client being happy and recommending me to others. I'm investing in their peace of mind – which is my key success indicator.
And I hope you'd agree – a few hundred euro investment in this is a small price to pay.
This isn't something applicable only to B2B services. Customer-facing businesses should invest, too. It's an investment worth making.
How do you invest in your clients?
From the blog
How to Write a Killer Blog Post? The 11-Step Process I Perfected by Publishing 750,000 Words
My writing process has morphed, changed, evolved over the years. It was an evolution by trial and error. So I hope I can save you some time and effort with this blog post. My writing process has reached an equilibrium. It just works for me. And it might just work for you, too. So feel free to try it out and let me know if you have found a better way for yourself.
Hand-selected pieces for you
How to Use Google Analytics to Track Social Media: Here are 5 Quick Ways
I often see businesses that are doing a less than stellar job at tracking their social media activity. If you want to learn about different Google Analytics reports that will give you more insights into your social media performance, this post is for you. You'll also get why UTMs are the first thing I make sure my clients know about when it comes to tracking.
SaaS Churn and Short-Term Customers: The Contrarian View
Rand Fishkin (former Moz CEO, now founder of SparkToro) always has an interesting viewpoint on startup topics and this is no exception. It describes how churn became the Holy Grail metric and why it sometimes creates the wrong incentives for companies. He also goes on to explain how you can get churn right and still bring a ton of value to customers.
How to Make an Email Newsletter That Builds Trust and Drives Leads
Newsletters are getting bigger and bigger. But to create the right one for your audience is no easy task. It requires a good grasp on the specific value you can bring, expressed in a clear value prop that's displayed prominently on your website. This piece covers some nice ideas for all three aspects. I especially liked the focus on value props—I see that many companies don't get this one right!
Thought Leadership and SEO: 5 Ways Thought Leadership Drives Rankings
There's a lot of talk about thought leadership but there's little to explain why this type of content is important to brands. On top of the (frankly, often nebulous) reputation benefits, thought leadership pieces can also work for SEO. Andy Crestodina explains how with a few great examples. The important takeaway: these pieces weren't made with the idea to get additional links or traffic — they were created because the authors had a personal conviction and something specific to say.
Retail Reimagined: 9 Trends for the Future of Physical Retail
E-commerce becomes more pervasive and this trend was precipitated by the pandemic. So what can physical retailers learn and how can they adapt for the future? Here are a few trends you might want to follow and work with — from building an omnichannel strategy through using new fulfillment methods to experiential and personalized in-store experiences.
Things I'm enjoying right now
- This great series of letters read by amazing actresses — As a writer and communicator, I'm constantly fascinated by the art of the written word. And nowhere is it greater than in personal letters. This is a live reading of remarkable letters written and read by great women.
- This great piece of content by a women's razor brand — Billie first made waves a few years ago when it created an ad for women's razors that actually included... body hair! Yeah, sad that this was groundbreaking but still. Now Billie launched a new no-product ad (which is essentially a piece of content) that talks about the essence of women. It's an interesting evolution of their brand communication.
One more thing...
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