What a bookmark taught me about client experience
The smallest gesture I’ll never forget…
My wife and I stayed at a Four Seasons resort a year ago.
She left her book in the room one day and when we came back, someone had gently placed a bookmark on it.
No note. No promo.
Just a small gesture that said: “We see you.”
My wife still talks about that to this day.
Actually, she raves about it.
Making People Feel Seen
Placing a bookmark on her book wasn’t expensive or flashy. It wasn’t the wildest gesture.
But it was incredibly intentional.
And that’s what great client experience feels like. It’s intentional and thoughtful.
It’s emotional.
Don’t forget that all of us, all clients, are emotional beings. So when we connect on an emotional level, we make some of the most lasting impressions.
Impressions that cause the client to say: “they get us. I trust them. I want to hire them again.”
Those are powerful feelings.
How ‘Client Experience’ Applies to Creative Business
You might think… well I’m not a luxury, five-star company like the Four Seasons.
And you’re right.
But what the Four Seasons does ISN’T any different from what we can do in our creative businesses.
Here’s the problem: we often only concern ourselves with the quality of the DELIVERY.
Whether that’s a finished video or a library of photos.
We concern ourselves with the quality of that alone.
But that’s not client experience.
Client experience becomes grand in our industry by doing these things…
Follow-ups before the client asks
Preparing them for what’s next
Quality checking to avoid further revisions
Gathering brand assets up front
Discovery meeting to learn brand
Mailing a printed photo to the client
None of those are particularly grand.
But here’s what they do:
They make the production process easier, thoughtful, and stress-free.
And that is GRAND.
Those feelings are amazing for a client.
Give those feelings every, single time you can.
What ‘Client Experience’ Has Done for My Business
This mindset of delivering an exceptional experience has helped me build over $300K in retainer client contracts.
The only way you land retainers is by proving your experience… by making the production process easy, thoughtful and stress-free.
That’s when a client buys into what you have to sell on a regular basis. When they want more of it.
Again, it’s about moving from talent to TRUST.
Yes, the talent is still there, but you gain their trust because of how you’ve made them feel time and time again.
Remember this: clients rebook creatives who make their lives easier.
If you want to build that kind of client relationship—
One that leads to repeat work, retainers, and referrals, I teach my full process in my Retainer Clients course.
I cover everything from pricing and pitching to delivery and contracts.
Cheers,
-Trent
The Retainer Clients Course
The Course will give you immediate insight and downloads:
Learn how to get clients & download my acquisition guide
See the tiers I pitch & download my proposal template
See how I price & download my pricing calculator
Get insight into my financials as a video business
See how I frame a contract & download my template
Start growing your business and stabilizing your revenue with recurring retainers
