Do you provide a service? Or do you create an experience?

The journey with our clients is more than a transaction – it's an experience. From the first interaction to the final stages of offboarding, every touchpoint shapes a memorable and impactful experience that can create a lasting bond between you and your clients. 

It is that bond that boosts your reputation, brings in referrals, and extends the lifetime value of a client who comes back time and again because they remember not the document you made for them but how you made them feel. 

So, let's ask ourselves a fundamental question: 

Are you delivering a document or building a relationship? 

Are you selling a product or an outcome? 

Are you creating a fun environment that goes beyond the resume and leaves a lasting impression?

If you’re not, you can, and you should! 

Imagine the scenario: A potential client stumbles upon your LinkedIn profile. What impression do they get? Is it a bland list of services and clearly AI-generated posts, or does it radiate knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm? 

The first interaction - which could be as passive as a scroll on social media - sets the tone for what a client can expect from an engagement with you. 

From first tough to last, let’s make it count. Here are some tips on how to do just that. 

Inject Personality into Your Online Presence

LinkedIn, for instance, is a hotbed for potential clients. Hence, it’s a great example of how a client’s first exposure to you may be indirect, so you’ve got to make it engaging - share success stories, sprinkle in a bit of humor, and let your personality shine through. Don’t be afraid to be a human who lives, breathes, and makes mistakes. 

Clients want to work with real people, not robotic service providers. You can share knowledge and your personality at the same time. 

Celebrate Their Journey

Are you celebrating your clients’ successes? Do you know their birthdays? Do you send them a holiday card? A congrats card for a new job? Did you know they had a new baby? 

If you don’t know these things, you’re missing out on a hugely rewarding experience that will bond your clients to you for life. Acknowledging milestones and victories - career or otherwise - is not just about patting ourselves on the back; it's about making our clients feel valued and appreciated.

Create a Wall of Wins

Whether it's a new job, a successful career transition, or a skill acquisition, celebrate it! Dedicate a section on your website or newsletter to showcase client success stories. It boosts your credibility, instills confidence in potential clients, and inspires those who may be struggling. 

You’re not bragging when you share a win; you’re showing others it is possible (through your guidance…wink.)

Snail Mail Surprises

Send a handwritten note or a small token of appreciation when your client comes on board, has a life event, or achieves a significant career milestone.

The unexpected gestures make the client experience memorable, and personal touches go a long way in building lasting relationships.

The Art of Offboarding

Now, let's talk about the often-overlooked phase of the client journey – offboarding. 

How we wrap up an engagement can help you obtain feedback to improve your coaching and resume writing, but more importantly, it can leave the door open for future collaborations while helping you wrap up the engagement with a clear endpoint and a memorable send-off.

There’s no way a client will seek out a peer when you’ve shown care and thoughtfulness from start to finish. 

Stay Connected 

Maintain a connection even after the official engagement has ended. Follow your clients on professional platforms, engage in their content, congratulate them on their career milestones, and occasionally check in to see how they're doing. 

Be sure to include them in newsletters, announcements, and your own celebration to make them feel like they’re still - and will always be - part of your community. 

The client experience is about building something intentional - it isn’t a linear path but an amalgamation of emotions, empathy, and shared successes. Elevating this experience requires intentionality to infuse positivity, fun, and care. Do so, and you’ll craft an enjoyable - and fun - professional development journey that goes beyond the current engagement and lasts well into the future. 

Here's to creating experiences that resonate!

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen, CPRW, CPCC