Recently I had to pack the family up and drive over 3 hours into another state to attend funeral services for a family member. It was a very stressful time for all of us. But one simple act made all the difference in the world to me that day.

I had made reservations to the closest hotel I could find a Holiday Inn Express, certainly not a 5 star hotel. The day we left I called to ask if we could have an early check in. I explained the situation to Alicia who answered the phone. She said we could definitely check in early although the room might not be totally ready for us.

5 star service is about building relationships not about room service.

When we arrived not only was the room ready but on the pillow was a handwritten condolence card from Alicia who was behind the frontdesk. I was pretty blown away by this. Also they gave us a bereavement rate for the room.

It lead me think about how I could do this for my clients. After all we have a relationship that will last for years and not just a few days.

I take a lot of notes. Not only do I write down what is being said in a meeting but I also write down important personally information.

Here’s some things to take note of: 

1. Birthdays– I heard a story of a used car salesman that would send out a birthday card to every single person that he sold a card too.
2. Anniversaries– If you are working for a couple chances are they will be celebrating an anniversary.
3. Children’s name– Pay close attention to this one since names of children will come up.
4. Important people in their lives. Maybe they mention a friend or two that are really important to them.You may meet them at some point.
5. What is the client talking about? Is something  on their mind? Maybe it’s a recent trip or a concern of theirs that keeps coming up.

Take note of this information so you can engage with them on a more personal level.

The key to all of this is to store your notes in an easily accessible location. I find that using the contacts app to be perfect. In the notes section I write all the information I’ve collected. Before the meeting I review the notes.

Some might say that this approach isn’t authentic. I have to disagree. I’m only human and I take notes for a reason and that’s so I can review them later. Once you’ve met with the client a few times you only need to skim the notes sections to refresh your memory.

One of the hardest things for me to do is to feel comfortable when staying away from my home.  That card made me feel like they cared. Think about what you can do to make your clients feel more comfortable.

Let’s talk more about this on Twitter.