The customer story.

It starts with a catalyst (some problem or desire) for your customer.

Your customer looks to various sources (search, social media, online forums) to help get relief for that particular problem or desire.

If you’ve put in the work (or had someone help you put in the work) in your digital marketing, you’re the most relevant small business to that particular customer, for that particular problem, on the digital platforms your customers use to find solutions for those problems.

They get in touch, you line up your offer and get them onboarded for the service or project.

For some small businesses, performing or delivering the service/project seems like the last chapter in the story.

And looking outside-in, yeah, it seems like it would be.

But for the best small businesses I’ve worked with, finishing up the work is only the beginning of the next chapter: the post-service/delivery chapter.

Closing out the service can be different depending on your particular type of small business/industry, but for many it can include:

1. A Follow Up On Service/Project (Quality Control)
2. A Feedback Loop/Review Request
3. A Thank You Message (Offline or Online)
4. An Offer To Follow On Social Media/Join Online Community
5. An Invitation To Subscribe To Content/Email Updates (Newsletters, etc.)

While all of these may not be necessary, if you don’t have at least a few of these in place, your “Post-Service Delta” is large (representing a mathematical gap or distance).

As you work through each of these and incorporate them into your post-service workflow, your “Post-Service Delta” can shrink to zero – meaning you’ve successfully continued the customer story, beyond a simple transaction – to a more meaningful relationship-based interaction.

Why The Post-Service Delta Matters

If you’re like many small business owners, you move quickly from one project or service delivery to the next – perhaps a bit too quickly, sometimes.

While there’s nothing wrong with this (time, for a small business owner, is a limited resource), I believe it’s a missed opportunity to strengthen the connection you have with your customers or clients.

While the start of your customer story – from their need/want to your solution is likely the most important part (of course), in many ways they become a part of your story as well, so they should be invited to follow along on that journey.

Setting up your post-service system allows you to:

1. Confirm satisfaction of project/service delivery
2. Collect important feedback
3. Thank them personally for choosing your small business
4. Invite them to follow your small business story on social media (and get updates)
5. Notify them on your content updates, promotions or other service related topics

As mentioned in my post about long-term thinking, for many small businesses it’s vital to continually plant seeds for future work and identify needs for your customers, and keeping them in the loop on your small business is a great way to always be “at the top of mind” should they need your help again in the future.

Build Relationships, Not Just Transactions

While transactions are vital for every business (we are running businesses, after all), in the small business world, relationships become much more valuable – and can be a source of endless connections and business in the future.

Relationships don’t just form out of thin air, however.

Relationships are forged over time – through consistency and trust.

By providing much more than just a transactional arrangement – but an arrangement that genuinely fosters feedback, gratitude and connection through your Post-Service Delta, it allows you to consistently keep in touch with your customers – and build that trust over time.