In my Mary Kay business, I sell consumable products that are addictive. And because I practice excellent customer service skills, I follow up with my clients anticipating when they are close to Time To Buy More. I like to help them avoid Mary Kay Emergencies that can occur when they are slam out of an essential product. On my consultant website the company sends me a reminder when that might be happening for each client. The reminder is triggered by what the client purchased, and the “typical use-up rate” for that product. However, the “actual use-up rate” depends on how frequently and lavishly they are applying the product.  I also determine if the client has recently made a purchase, so I can choose whether or not to send the reminder email to him or her.  

Linda Loud Mary Kay Consultant

404-931-8620   lindaloud@gail.com   www.marykay.com/lloud

In my health insurance space we have a proprietary software called Quotit.  We input data regarding a client and can send quotes to them during Open Enrollment.  In addtion, the data is held throughout the year so if they have a Qualifying Event, we can sign them outside of Open Enrollment.  Many small groups want to compare group rates with individual rates and Quotit allows us to do that as well.  "Ready" in my business is three things:  Open Enrollment, Qualifying Events or a Life Change.

Curtis Turner

Through discussions with a potential client, if they forward or provide their declarations page showing their current coverage limits, it is a trigger that they want to discuss their current insurance situation further and allow me to review and provide recommendations.

As a realtor, I work with clients who are ready now and those that need a little more time to understand the process and their options before they're ready to buy and/or sell a house.

These are the signs I look for to know when clients are ready to take the next steps:

...For clients who are interested in buying a house who are buying their house with cash, it's when they provide me with proof of funds.

...For clients who want to buy a house and plan to take a mortgage, it's when they have a pre-approval letter from a lender.

...For clients who are interested in selling their house, it's when they know where they want to go and when they begin taking the actions I've recommended to get their house ready for sale.

One of the things I hear from clients and others is that I am the least pushy agent they know!  LOL!  I'm there to help on my clients time!

Kelly Vandever

770-597-1108

kelly.vandever@kw.com

https://www.kellyvandever.com/

Because I'd rather be invisible than annoying, I keep track of who has attended extra workshops.

When a Member attends Orientation Essentials and InfoMinute Seminar, and the extra workshop that day, I'll let them know about the next extra workshop coming up. If not, then my assumption is they aren't interested.

Some women wear earrings, several necklaces, a stack of bangles and a ring on every finger. Me -- not so much. If I want to wear earrings I know where to find them. When Members are ready to get more information, Index > Events shows everything available to them.

Tracking my client's monthly autosaver is an important activity to track.  Once these members consistently saves for the autosaver collectible coin, the next step would be for the person to be educated on saving for collection sets (of collectible coins).  Owning sets offer the member larger returns than randoming investing in a collectible coins.  For example, an entire set of 1 oz silver, PF70 Animal State Series collection (per Miles Standish, coin authenticator) could be potentially worth $6 milllion based on historical performance of silver.  It should be noted the 50 state purchases would be valued at $9,000 to $10,000 in savings).

When professionally answering calls for various businesses, it's important to track how many calls each customer is receiving.  This tracking helps Intelligent Office (www.intelligentoffice.com) not only make sure we are appropriately staffed to handle their important calls but also ensures clients are paying as little as possible for the service.  As their businesses continue growing we often see their call volumes steadily climb.  We can work with the owner to move the growing business to a higher call answering package keeping their cost per answered call lower still.

I use several tools. One is my CRM system, another is a digital form that contains a lot of information such as Name, Date, Important Conversation notes, Important Dates (example: birthday, follow up, lock expiration dates). Outlook is always my first go to. I schedule follow up calls (including the listing realtor and seller realtor), meeting notes and what to do next on my calendar.

I have a process that clients go through before their photo session. I keep track of my client onboarding process in my customer relationship management (CRM) tool.

I must first see that a client has paid their booking fee. This lets me know that they are serious about a session. Then for the higher-value portrait services, I have them complete a questionnaire. That lets me know they are thinking about and hopefully excited about their pre-session consultation.

Then I'll send recommendations about how to prepare for their photoshoot. I can see through my CRM if they've opened this link and in my experience completing all these means they're ready for their pre-session consultation which prepares them for our photo session.

My monthly performance assessments serve as a crucial gauge for tracking the progress of my athletes in enhancing their overall athleticism. A positive trend in strength and movement numbers indicates that they are reaching optimal levels of physical capability. Conversely, a desending  trend in speed and quickness numbers suggests improved explosiveness, speed, and agility among the athletes.

While it's essential to monitor these metrics, my primary focus extends beyond numerical indicators. I'm not solely concerned with progressing to the next level; rather, my paramount goal is to ensure that our training efforts seamlessly translate into tangible on-field or on-court results. It is only when my athletes demonstrate their acquired skills and performance enhancements in real-game scenarios that the prospect of reaching the next level becomes a natural progression.

As a personal injury lawyer, it is important to track each client’s medical treatment.  Knowing when a client completes his or her medical care lets me know that it is time to start negotiating a settlement or take their case to Court.  Until a client has completed his or her medical care, the total amount of damages cannot be ascertained.  Unlike car insurance companies, I do not rush my clients to settle their cases.  I make sure that each client is fully compensated for all their damages.  I am not interested in resolving cases quickly; I am interested in resolving cases fairly.

As a Financial Advisor I can tell when my clients are ready to take the next step by how many questions they ask to see if they are serious about the planning process . I can then tell if they will be able to continue the plan by how quickly that they are making the effort to apply those changes. If they client is less interested in the planning I know that they will be more focused on the investments and returns.

As a new client, the first assignment I give them is to create a spending plan.  It doesn't need to be perfect, but I like them to make the effort.  

This first assignment is intentional because if they have never sat down and looked at their numbers, it can be very eye-opening.  This is a good exercise to get my clients to start thinking about how they are spending their money.  They send me a copy before our first meeting so I can look things over and prepare better for our discussion.

After their spending plan is completed (or at least given a good effort) we then schedule our first meeting.  This is where we will begin to look over their spending plan and start to explore what they are doing well and where some adjustments need to be made to achieve the goals they are trying to accomplish. 

Often when a client comes in that wants to open a new business account, they may have already registered with the Secretary of State to get their TIN # but seldom do that have all the supporting documents needed to open a business bank account. Renasant Bank makes it easy. We have a printed list of all the business accounts that we open @ branch level and I provide the Client with that. It is very simple as it breaks it out by type of buiness you have, (Corp., LLC, Sole Prop., ) & with each business it list all of the required documents needed before we can proceed in opening your new checking account. The same checklist is then again used before the client leaves to ensure we have all the documents as well as all of the signers on the account before submitting to our back office for approval. Once this step is completed, we then can upload the account and it now active. 

Our training is preplanned for the most part for Basic training. After each session, we send out written instructions for what was trained and video. I can always tell if they have reviewed it or not. Then accordingly we plan our next session.

I always book a call with prospective clients to learn more about their goals with digital marketing. On that call I suggest the services I offer that will be best based on that information. A client will show they are ready to take the next step by verbally agreeing to a plan and then paying the $500 onboarding fee to reserve their start date. Recieving that payment triggers the formal contract and onboarding process to begin. 

I sell, rent and repair medical equipment, so my customers are almost always in a vulnerable position when they come to me. We don't necessarily rely on reports to signal readiness. Our customers have experienced a medical emergency, are post-op, or are supporting a loved one who is recovering. I also have many customers who are just dealing with natural diminished mobility as a result of the aging process. Regardless, their cue to complete a sales or rental transaction is often precipitated by a stressful situation. As a result, we educate about options, and inquire about details that the customer might not have thought of so they are not making unclear decisions under duress. We try to make our transactions as streamlined as possible since our customers are often dealing with chaos. We know they are ready to take the next step when they express trust in our process, and knowledge, and have signed the itemized written quote that we have submitted to them. Much of our equipment (for sale) is not returnable, so clear, explicit communication and working to find the right solution at the beginning is key!

In my business there are two ways to show customer is ready for the next step. In an insurance claim, if a customer signs a Letter of Representation for our Public Adjuster, it means they are ready to file a claim. In a retail roofing situation, I will send them a quote for a roof replacement. If that customer wants to have an in person meeting to discuss the specifics of the process, it shows they want to move forward with a roof replacement. 

During our first meeting, I normally ask new clients a few questions to gage their technological needs. Based on their answers to these questions, I will know if they are ready to move to the next level. How much time are you spending on your business' IT support? The more time a business owner spends troubleshooting tech problems, installing updates, responding to security threats, and resetting passwords; the less time they are spending working on their business objectives. Has this issue caused or will cause your business downtime? Significant or constant downtime can result in a business' financial loss and/or a bad customer experience. Have you tried to find the answer on Google? Let's face it, a quick Google search can yield a solution for some of the most basic tech issues. But when the solution isn't clear or it is labor intensive, it is time to consult an experienced technician. Bonus Questions: Would you like me to recommend some tools that can improve your business operation? The right technology is essential for moving a small business forward, from automating processes to enhancing communication.

The insights gained from these questions will enable me to develop an effective strategy for my clients' technological needs.

Marquita Perry, Southern Magnolia Technology
mperry@southernmagnoliatechnology.com
678-784-7533
www.southernmagnoliatechnology.com

As a life coach, goal setting is a key piece in helping a client move forward in their lives and making sure they are achieving what they want to accomplish. 

In each session I make notes on the small goals that they want to achieve and we talk about them in each session. My clients have to achieve those small goals and if they dont we discuss what got in their way and work on strategies to help them move forward in acheivieng them. Once they have been acheived them then the decision of moving forward to the next smalls goals is determined.

We have to take small steps to reach to the mountain top and navigate the challenges along the way.   

As a personal Chef, I have a close relationship to my clients in the sense that they trust me not only with their dietary restrictions, but also to deliver food right into their fridge. It's very hard to say what a next step to that would be. Of course, I wouldn't mind at all to be their preferred Chef for any family gatherings or business caterings. I do unterstand, though, that this takes far longer to develop than I have been in business yet.

I keep track of all orders and know who only ordered a few times or once from me. Since I use reusable containers, I meet all of my clients at least once more after their order and ask them about their satisdaction with my food and what led them to pause their orders for now.

Chef Elisa Vales (they/them)

www.culinaryadaption.com

At Crew Chiropractic I track 3 things with my patients. The first is a posture scan, the second is a nerve scan, and the third is x-rays. I check in and redo the nerve and posture scans every 12 visits. This helps let me and the patient know that what we are doing is working, or maybe I  need to switch something up in their care plan because we aren't getting the expected results. When these scans progress, then I am able to start to recommend more time in between visits, with the end goal being finding a frequency that maintains the results we just worked for.