Creating a Client Story
Client stories can
be very powerful for a lot of reasons. They highlight the challenges
that people face and often feel alone with in their struggles. Knowing
that they are not the only ones having had this experience gives them
strength and hope.
Stories also highlight your offerings in a
context of how they benefitted the client. This is much more effective
than trying to list them out in a bulleted format.
And lastly, but
probably most importantly, it creates an invitation for others to
connect with you if they are experiencing a similar situation. They can
tell from your story that you know your business and that you offer the
services and possess the character traits they are looking for in a
provider.
The story.
When creating a client
story, it there are some key elements that you will want to include. By
doing so, it not only tells a story, but it also highlights your
contribution to the success of the overall outcome. The reader sees
themselves in the story and also sees you as someone they can trust and
ultimately choose to work with.
Here is a template that will help you to tell the story.
- Define a client and category for which you choose to expand. Have a real client in mind and one that you would like to attract more of.
- Consider the “what if’s” of not working with you. What challenges did they face that you were able to solve. Had you not been there what might they have experienced instead.
- What did you do to help them? Think about the tangible services you provided, but also the intangible aspects of your offering.
- What was the outcome or results? Share the successes the client experienced. This is more about their outcome and success and less about yours.
- How did the client convey that you did a good job?
This can be a quote, testimonial, or maybe they sent you a referral as
a result. It may even be conveyed from a third party observation or
testimonial. - Ask for referrals. When using the
story for marketing purposes, encourage the reader to connect with you
or refer others like this client when they encounter them. - Include a call to action. Let
them know what you want them to do after reading your story. Do you
want them to like your fanpage, visit your website, call you, or attend
an event? Let them know what to do next.
* adapted from 7 Levels of Communication by Michael Maher
Sample Client Success Story
Joyce
Adams, age 84, had lived in her home in Southwest Oklahoma City for 45
years. Although physically healthy and independent, she easily could
have been overwhelmed by the tasks of selling her home and dealing with
emotional ties. Having lived in her home since her children were born,
she had collected a lot of memories and a lot of prized possessions. Her
kids were grown and living across the country and her husband recently
passed, making the decision to move that much more difficult. She didn’t
know how much her home was worth and she was concerned about what she
would do with all the things that she had collected that her children
didn’t want and there wasn’t room for in her new apartment
Joyce
called us to do more than sell her home. Our team assisted her with
moving arrangements and estate sale services, including the
transportation of remaining items to the estate sale gallery. By helping
her with preparations in advance and pricing the home accurately, we
were able to sell the home in just 10 days, allowing Joyce to go ahead
and make her move to the independent senior living community she had
chosen. The best part is that while our team was working on the details
of the sale, she and her family were able to enjoy a much needed
extended out-of-state family vacation.
Ellen, Joyce’s daughter,
who helped with the move said, “Your team was amazing and a delight to
work with; from our initial meeting to discuss my Mom’s move to a
retirement community, to the actual move and quick sale of her home
including disposal of unwanted possessions. You were extremely
professional and always accessible. I appreciated that you were unique
in your ability to anticipate the needs and concerns of a senior citizen
like Mom moving from a much loved, longtime home to a small apartment
in a retirement community. You made this so much easier on all of us and
I would not hesitate to recommend you and have already done so to
several of my friends.”
When asked about her experience, Joyce
simply said, “You do more than sell a house, you are caring.” Now that
her home is sold and she is settled in her new carefree apartment, Joyce
is looking forward to her housewarming party sponsored and hosted by
our team. Her plans are to take a couple of cruises each year and
participate in the variety of activities offered at her senior
community.
We love working with families like Joyce and Ellen. It
was such a pleasure to know that Joyce was able to remain healthy and
active during and after her move and that her children did not feel
burdened by the process of trying to handle details from across the
country.
If you know of others like Joyce or Ellen, we would love to help them too. Just call us at 555-555-5555 or go to our website at www.seniorsrealestateinstitute.com and join our community so we can stay in touch.
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P.S.S. We know you have really amazing success stories and we want you to share them with us on Facebook or via email. If you are OK with us using your success story in our book coming out later this year, let us know.