How You Can Provide a “Ritz-Carlton” Welcome for Potential Clients.

I read a Globe and Mail  article the other day on the opening of the upscale Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto. What caught my attention was the Hotel’s  philosophy of creating a “warm and sincere greeting”  so that patrons become “Ritz-Carlton guests for life”. The company’s own polling shows that the first ten minutes are critical. Fail to impress guests in that time frame and you’ve lost them.

This got me thinking. What can we do as personal historians to create a “Ritz- Carlton” welcome for our clients? I must admit that my own approach might be charitably called the “Holiday Inn” welcome – friendly but decidedly not upscale. I think there’s room for improvement.

Here are a few ideas that we could all use to  make potential clients feel special:

Be on time and look impeccable.

Call me old-fashioned but punctuality and neatness are a professional given.

Show up at your client’s home on time – not 5 minutes early nor 5 minutes late. Punctuality conveys a sense of trustworthiness, meticulousness, and courtesy.  Don’t underestimate its importance.

First impressions count. Casual weekend attire won’t do.  Dress in a manner that conveys confidence, timeless style, and appropriateness.  This doesn’t mean dressing in a power suit. For men a pair of neatly pressed slacks, sports coat, crisp shirt, and polished dress shoes will fit the bill.  I hesitate to suggest fashion advice for women other than erring on the conservative side. This means easy on the bling and use of color.

It’s about them not you.

Forget about selling.  No one wants to be sold anything. You’re visiting a potential client to listen to their hopes, wishes, and concerns about recording a life story. You want to be asking questions that get at the heart of why the client has asked to see you – questions like: “What is important for you about preserving this story? What concerns do you have about not getting this story told? How will this project affect your life? What do you hope this personal history project will look like?”

Only when you’ve a clear understanding of what your client wants, can you turn the conversation to questions of approach, process, time, and costs.

A word of caution. Don’t avoid addressing the cost question which will more than likely pop up early in the conversation. Explain, “Costs are variable depending on the size of the project.  I really want to get a better idea of what you hope for so that I can provide you with a  more precise cost estimate.”

Don’t overstay your welcome.

Just as arriving on time is important so to is leaving on time. If you and your client agreed on an hour, respect that. Don’t go over unless your client indicates that this would be acceptable.

Leave-taking.

No matter how the meeting turns out, your “Ritz-Carlton” approach demands a “classy” exit. There are the obvious things like expressing thanks for being invited to listen to the client and to share your knowledge about personal histories.

If you want to take that extra step that will have your client talking about you for some time, here’s what you can do.

• Give a gift  book that illustrates the historical development of the community in which your client lives.
• Present an attractive journal for writing down memories.
• Offer a gift  book such as My Words Are Gonna Linger: The Art of Personal History.
• Send a thank you card that includes a $25 book store gift card.

Don’t be afraid to spend $20 to $30 dollars on a gift. It’s part of your marketing budget. And if it helps you to land a $10,ooo to $15,000 contract, it’s a small price to pay.

What are some of the ways you provide a “Ritz-Carlton” welcome for your potential clients? Love to hear from you.