Who'll be getting the presidential treatment today?

Do you remember when President Clinton made “headlines” (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun), garnering no small share of criticism when LAX shut down two airstrips for hours, just so the president could call his personal stylist to come and cut his hair on the tarmac? If you need a refresher, [here's a link to the the NY Times article].

I was thinking about that on my walk today. About the level of success you’d have to achieve — not to shut down the airport to get a haircut — but to be able to charge four hundred dollars (or more) an hour for hair cutting and styling services.

I thought about a conversation I had recently with a local salon owner who told me that while some of her peers continue to hurt financially due to the slow economy, she is doing fairly well. She attributes her present success not from an ability to move more clients through during the day, but actually, by moving fewer clients in and out of her chair each day. She told me that she is simply spending more time with them. Again, while you might reasonably expect me to say that she is selling more services or services that take longer to her existing clients, that’s not what she said. She said she is simply spending more time with them. Time during the consulting process. Time talking with them about their jobs, their kids, their spouses, their family and friends and hobbies and interests. She is investing her time, focusing on and connecting personally and emotionally with her clients, as a deliberate part of the client experience.

It goes to the heart of the matter.

I’ll bet the Clinton’s “family stylist” (as Christophe is referred to in the NY Times article) treats the Clintons like royalty, like VIPs, like celebrities, like — well — the president. I’ll bet his attention is focused 100% on his clients during any service appointment. I’ll bet that there are no more than a handful of times in his entire professional career when he’s failed to deliver extraordinary results as well as an extraordinary client experience. Because that’s what it takes to be able to charge hundreds of dollars for a haircut. That’s what it takes to be on call for the president.

And here’s the moral of the story. You may not be on call for the president, but you might have someone presidential in your business today and not even know it. It might be the president of the local PTA, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary or Kiwanis, the head of the local chapter of MOPS, the owner of a local restaurant or wine bar — there could be any number of extremely influential people who come into your business on any given day, whether you are aware of it or not.

Your opportunity lies in giving each and every customer who walks in the door the presidential treatment. Giving each 100% of your focus when greeting them, seating them, consulting with them, providing services for them, recommending products for them, listening to them — through each step of their journey through your business — up until the moment they leave. Can you imagine the president’s stylist barely looking up when he walks in the door? Can you imagine the president’s stylist taking personal calls during the service appointment or having a personal conversation with a co-worker? Can you imagine the president’s stylist failing to tell him about a hair or scalp problem? Failing to recommend the right products? Failing to make each moment of the president’s client experience special, extraordinary? Me neither.

Who’s going to get the presidential treatment in your business today? I hope that it turns out to be the vast majority of your clients; because, if so, it’s going to be a great year!

Don't miss next Monday's e-mail newsletter which will include more original content and links to articles that will motivate, inspire and challenge you. [Click here] to subscribe. It's free, you can opt out any time, and I probably won't bother you more than once each week!

Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in book and digital formats.