Resources in this Episode

Christine Schlonski [0:02]
Hi Gorgeous. This is episode number 112. We’re having the wonderful Tanya Pluckrose back on the show.

Tanya Pluckrose [0:09]
Hi, this is Tanya Pluckrose, you are listening to Heart Sells! Podcast with Christine Schlonski. Enjoy.

Christine Schlonski [0:17]
I can’t wait to deepen the conversation with Tanya today where we talk about the great client experience and how this is key to your business. Before we dive in, I just want to make a shout out to all of our listeners in the United States, L.A. California and also in Germany, Stuttgart, thank you so much for being here, for tuning in. Continuing the conversation with Tanya, you can find all the show notes, the transcripts, the resources we are talking about at https://christineschlonski.com under the podcast tab, and Tanya is an expert and thought leader about attracting and retaining high-value clientele. She helps business owners who struggle to sell their products and services with her six-star selling system. And her company focuses on innovative ways in creating the right kind of client experience that increases sales, client acquisition, and retention. She’s an international best selling author of, The Art of Selling To Women. I’m so so excited to have that conversation with her today because she brings so much experience to the table from working at Qantas Airlines, combining all of that with her sales background. And that makes it a very, very special blend. So let’s welcome Tanya back on the show. Well, I am so excited to have Tanya back on the show. Welcome.

Tanya Pluckrose [1:52]
Hello, Christine, it’s so good to be back. Thank you for having me.

Christine Schlonski [1:55]
Yes, I just loved our first interview and you know, all the experience you were able to make in your life with Qantas, with being in management and taking care of a team and giving all these customers such a wonderful customer experience is now coming in so handy on what you are teaching and how you show people to show up in their businesses and make a stronger impact on their clients. Because often it’s just buy something, we come in, we have a transaction, money switches, the owner, so to speak on the product, and then it’s gone. And you mentioned in the earlier interview that the customer experience is so important to also differentiate yourself. So help us a little bit more about the important, meaty points to consider when we are setting out to have a look at what our customers are experiencing when they buy and near maybe some ideas of how to make it a better experience.

Tanya Pluckrose [3:08]
Sure. Oh, I’d love to, I would love to. So like I mentioned earlier on, Qantas gave me the template. And I just transported it into my own business solution, which was appearance, approach, and accountability. And I often noticed that many entrepreneurs forget these three key areas and are more concerned or companies are more concerned about the processes of, it’s the sale cycle. So the sale cycle is the beginning part, the connecting path, which is they tend to stay more about the approach part of this template and forget about appearance and accountability. When it comes to approaching many companies to do well with getting to know you, then they go into the negotiating part, then the close, yet they forget, what about the experience for the customer. And that’s why it feels like a transaction, you know, like a sale, and then, “See you later. All the best”, as opposed to really having that experience. So the experience to me is, first of all, the appearance part. And I feel appearance is whatever your brand is, dress for success according to your brand, represent your brand with your appearance. A good example of where I saw a business coach and do herself was, I attended a networking event. And there was — we all have passed around our business cards at a luncheon. And there was a woman to the left of me. We all ended up taking serious business cards home and I remember going home and saying, “That woman next to me, where is her business card? I can’t find it. What was her name again?”, trying to look for it. And then it dawned on me that the business card she gave me was her picture on it did not represent her in any shape or form. The business card she had with the picture was over 20 years prior, where she was very polished. And she represented her brand magnificently 20 years ago as a successful businesswoman. But the woman next to me on that day, I kind of let herself go. She had her hair out. She didn’t dress in business attire. She hadn’t made an effort. And I kept thinking to myself, “Just sending mixed messages. I didn’t want to, I would never hire you. Because you’re not, even though you say what you do. And I know you’re really good at it. Right now, you clearly are not feeling good about yourself. So how is that going to affect me working with you, I wouldn’t choose to hire you.” And that’s what I’m saying to all your listeners, make sure your brand, you are constantly selling yourself all the time. So make sure you represent your brand all the time, show we have, what we call in Australia tricky duck days, where we put on those tracksuits. Yes, that’s okay. But always remember that whenever you are attending networking events, or even if you’re having a zoom conversation with a prospective client, make sure your backdrop represents you. And make sure it’s not the backdrop of a messy living room because your prospective client is going to go, “Oh, look how untidy she is. Oh, that looks like a mess. I wonder if she’s going to be someone I can work with, who’s going to be reliable.” Because remember, women constantly are looking at all the details, all the details all the time. And they subconsciously pick them all up. And they make a decision based on those details as to whether they want to work with you or not. So that’s a really good example of appearance.

Christine Schlonski [7:22]
I just want to throw in something real quick. Because I’m, you know it’s Heart Sells! Podcast is an audio podcast. But if you would have the chance to see us right now, you would see how beautiful you can get set up. Like everything fits, it’s authentic, it’s congruent. When I checked her homepage, and then be connected, that’s what I got. So everything fits. And I would really suggest, be authentic. If you are not a woman, for example, who loves to wear pink, then don’t wear it. Show up as yourself and make it easier for yourself. Because if you are you and the customer’s always buying you and your energy first, then it’s so much easier than when we come up with an image of what we think we have to be or we have to do. And you write a lot about this in your book as well,

Tanya Pluckrose [8:28]
The Art of Selling To Women.

Christine Schlonski [8:33]
So I remember to point that out that you walk your talk, and I was so fascinated seeing that and I also had the experience you just described, where I had a business card was a picture, and I couldn’t put it together. Because it was maybe 10, 20 years old picture on that business card or was photoshopped and such a good, it did not represent the person I have met. So if you are listening, and you feel like that might be you, do something about it real quick because people buy your authenticity.

Tanya Pluckrose [9:13]
Thank you very much, they do. And remember the details. Remember, that’s all I can say, go deep with the details.

Christine Schlonski [9:24]
Yeah, yes.

Tanya Pluckrose [9:25]
Especially if your clients are women because that’s what they subliminally notice. I mean, why do you say well then keep their home so clean and tidy? They can, they know when it’s the weeks up, and they’ve got to dust. They can see dust a mile away. So if there’s, have such a keen eye for details, why wouldn’t they have it with you, try to want to work with you? Like always, always make sure that you’re showing up with that, especially if you’re charging a high ticket item. Because the value doesn’t just come with your results. The value comes also with everything else.

Christine Schlonski [10:07]
Such a piece of great advice. Let me just repeat it, ‘The value comes also this everything else.’

Tanya Pluckrose [10:14]
Yeah.

Christine Schlonski [10:15]
You’re always buying the whole package. So

Tanya Pluckrose [10:18]
Yeah, you are. And also people will buy — If you created, if you show great attention to detail and great value before, before the purchase, with the way you’ve connected, and all the little details, people actually can see, will actually not want to negotiate the price, because they can see with your subliminal messages that you are a woman of integrity, a woman of your word, with the way your attention to detail is all about. I’ve discovered people often don’t want to negotiate because they can see.

Christine Schlonski [11:02]
Yeah, I totally agree. It’s just a question. Well, how, you know, put it on my credit card or can I have a payment plan? Because they already know they want to work with you. And I think that’s, that’s a beauty as well. When you are authentic. When you stop putting so much effort into being someone that you are not.

Tanya Pluckrose [11:25]
Correct.

Christine Schlonski [11:26]
Then life becomes so much easier for like for everybody.

Christine Schlonski [11:30]
I think that’s super important, that’s a very important point to talk about. Because especially with women, they have a different way of feeling and the different way of seeing details. They have been enough studies when you come into a home and you would then ask the men like, “How was the room set up?”, they would have difficulties because they didn’t really care. And the woman will tell you exactly, “Oh, there was a painting to the left, and they had this dresser. And yeah, well, they had the pictures of their kids or whatever.” They know that and it’s not something they makeup, it’s just the way it is. We, women, have this longing for beauty and for details in this area. When you talk to a guy about a car or the technical details, I will hear it, but I’m not gonna remember it five minutes later. And my husband probably knows every single detail they talked about, about the engine and the tires and whatever, I could care less. So this is so important that people get that. And it’s beautiful that you have written that book, The Art of Selling To Women because it is a huge difference. So when you have women as your ideal client, you need to pay attention to this. And then the customer experience comes in it as well, because we always want to feel great.

Tanya Pluckrose [11:30]
It does.

Tanya Pluckrose [13:04]
Yeah, we do later. Yeah. Yeah.

Christine Schlonski [13:08]
Can you continue on that? Because I did.

Tanya Pluckrose [13:10]
I said the appearance part so that and, and even for any of you listeners, you actually work insurance, I often say especially in the car industry, often walk in, and it’s very sterile. Like most of the purchasing decisions by a woman influences the purchase of a car around 68%. And I’ve always been flabbergasted that when you walk in, it’s like a boys club. It’s like black, I always think it looks too sterile. If only these companies would furnish their showrooms more toward a feel of a living room, then have a male I guess, it would be like a trophy room. If they would finish them with soft furnishings, a couch, and a round table, always have a round table, don’t have square tables, especially if you are selling insurance, or don’t have a square table to do a deal. Because women really look at that is equality. It’s about equality. It’s about collaboration. I love going into all these details. It’s these fine little things that make such a difference to closing the sale a lot quicker. That’s how I see it. For me, it’s always about the welcome, the welcome you give. What does it take to take A before you if you know your clients coming to your store for the day or coming to your office space? Why wouldn’t you put a notice board outside downstairs with a big billboard side? Welcome Tanya Pluckrose, pop upstairs. This is where I put a little sign downstairs. I mean, even start off recognizing that client coming to your office, on the pavement, on the curve side, is just such a wow factor for women that they love that. That you already are starting to celebrate them before they are even in your office space.

Christine Schlonski [15:15]
So you said something beautiful, celebrate them.

Tanya Pluckrose [15:18]
Yeah, celebrate them.

Christine Schlonski [15:21]
Yeah, I just love that.

Tanya Pluckrose [15:23]
Well, women find it very hard to celebrate themselves. And because they’re such great caretakers, and it’s so refreshing. Oh my god, it’s so refreshing when someone does it for them, and just acknowledges them and appreciates them. Because I think their family takes, and themselves, they take them for granted. Take woman for granted. And so it’s so nice when someone just goes the extra mile. And I’m saying, you don’t have to spend a fortune. It’s the small little things that make a difference. A big difference.

Christine Schlonski [16:00]
Yeah, it can just be a phone call telling the person that they are excited to see the next day or something or like a little flip chart with the name.

Tanya Pluckrose [16:12]
That’s right.

Christine Schlonski [16:13]
Or so often, we already have digitalized boards. So you just need to punch it in.

Tanya Pluckrose [16:18]
That’s right! As simple as that or find my water coffee is before she arrives. When she arrives, it’s a steaming cup of her favorite fluffy latte sitting on the table. “Hi, come on in. Here’s a cup of coffee. I know –“, I mean, that’s what conscious taught me, all about anticipating the unexpressed needs of your clients. The more you can do that with the things that are important to her, she becomes your raving fan. She becomes your marketing campaign. During the customer journey, you have with us and afterward and afterward, she then starts sending referrals to you because by word of mouth, because you never forget how you make you feel. Most companies are not doing this. Yes, it does. It’s not spending, it’s not hard work, it’s just a little bit more effort. That’s how you’ve got to, just look at it. But you’ve got to look at the bonus, look at what you’re going to have coming to you if you go out of your way with these little extras.

Christine Schlonski [17:30]
Yeah, and it creates a much nicer experience for yourself as well. You already can feel how happy the potential customers or client and then but it also requires knowing who you’re serving. So getting that clarity is super, super important. So in your blueprint, or how did you call it?

Tanya Pluckrose [17:55]
Say it again?

Christine Schlonski [17:56]
Your system, your blueprint, like the three

Tanya Pluckrose [17:59]
My blueprint is three A’s (appearance approach and accountability). I always work by

Christine Schlonski [18:07]
We talked about that. What would you say around accountability then?

Tanya Pluckrose [18:12]
Accountability for me, it’s all really about the follow-up. The follow-up, you want to continue to keep the stickiness, the stickiness happening between you and your client. Because it’s the stickiness that drives referrals. So for me the follow-up, you see, when you start working with a prospective client, I often say in my book, I say, “Always listen to the chatter. Listen to a woman because she will tell you what’s important to her. So and so for some, it may be an experience for some they like experiences others prefer more value with regards to, they really enjoy if you give them an extra hour. So listen to what’s really important to them, and then start following up. So what I would do is, if the customer journey finished with a client and I finished working with them for three months, I will always remember what was important to her. So if she’s a mom with three kids, and she told me that Saturday morning is a busy time for her because it’s always sports, and I find out what her kids like then maybe even three months after we finish working, I might just send her a tickets to a football game or basketball game. Or it may be that they like eating out. So three months later, I would go, “Hey, I’ve just sent you a $50 voucher, go and have dinner at your local. I know how much you love eating out with the kids. Here’s the voucher go off and have that”, that’s the follow-up. It’s those small little touchpoints. Touching her when she leads expected with things that she values. That’s what I call the follow-up, in the follow-up, I’ve noticed, it’s not just during the customer journey, which may be, “Look, we just had a juicy session on Monday. And you seemed quite upset during it. Look, it’s Thursday, I’ve got an hour, let’s just get on a call, I’m not charging you for this. But I want to see if you’re okay. Or let me just see if I can, you know, see if you’re okay, I’ve got to spend half an hour”, by you adding that little extra value. That just makes your heart sing that you’re showing you really, really care. So the follow up doesn’t just happen at the end, it can happen also during the customer journey with it. And that’s the accountability part of it, too.

Christine Schlonski [20:51]
Yeah, I just love that. And I have created that experience for my clients. They all have when we work one on one, the opportunity to send WhatsApp or emails and have like emergency calls. In case something’s coming up. And they might have a call where they’re not quite sure how to prepare something. So I always offer that knowing that my ideal customer, they will not do that every week. They will really be mindful of my time as well. But it’s such a nice extra, that’s so appreciated. Because I’m going out of my way, which so many people don’t. And it’s beautiful. It’s exactly what you just mentioned, to make sure they are all right, to make sure that you are there, to help them to be that next successful version. You’ve been working really, really hard over the last month to get together amazing experts, teaching and supporting you with your mission, because it’s such a big mission that you thought, getting even more people to see it from different angles. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Tanya Pluckrose [22:12]
I would love to Christine. So I decided that I have my template. But I also want to acknowledge some heart-centered sellers out in the world, who are doing a phenomenal job changing the landscape of selling. I love it, it’s so refreshing that there are also like-minded entrepreneurs and business owners out there that believe that selling isn’t just processes. It also is other ways to sell your products and services. So I had put together, I did put together 21 experts and I asked them to come on board and share their opinion and setting. The actual name of the series, the interview series was, The Art of Selling To Women: How to connect, engage and sell to the female consumer. But what I loved was that these people came on and really talked about not just their opinion and selling but gave some very, very unusual methodologies I had never thought of. That could support anyone to take the perception of selling to another level, to really start to enjoy selling, to really see it as a divine appointment with another person. They also gave some incredible tools. It even supported me to grow my template in selling and that’s what I put together. You were included on that because I love your unique and refreshing proposition to selling that is really from the heart, not from the head. That’s what I feel is the new landscape to selling and in order to stand out because, we live in such a busy world where it becomes all about the acquisition, the sale but not the retention part. And the people like yourselves understand that sales isn’t just about the acquisition, it’s about the retention as well. And that’s what this whole series is all about.

Christine Schlonski [24:27]
Yeah, I just, I loved our interview. And but that’s not why we mentioned it.

Tanya Pluckrose [24:32]
I know. But I wanted to also just say that you were included in this, it’s one of those who really come from that place of authenticity and heart-centeredness, about mastering the art of selling.

Christine Schlonski [24:46]
Yeah, so you got together all these amazing experts. I know how much work is involved due to my own master classes, and you did such a phenomenal job. So I’m going to put the link for people to check it out in the show notes as well.

Tanya Pluckrose [25:05]
Great.

Christine Schlonski [25:05]
Just like one click away. And then people can go to your website where they find all the information on your event, as well as tips and advice and where they can check out your beautiful website to get even a deeper understanding and that is by going to https://www.tanyapluckrose.com/

Tanya Pluckrose [25:30]
That’s right. Yes.

Christine Schlonski [25:31]
Wonderful. Thank you so much for being on Heart Sells! This was such a wonderful interview. You know, I guess I could continue for hours because I’m delivering so much value. And I just love the way you look at, like service on a deeper level, on a deeper level so that people can be ‘Wowed!’ a way that they have this wonderful experience, that they want to tell everybody what happened. By doing that, sending customers to you or whoever is able to provide that outstanding experience. I think that’s what makes the business even more successful, is creating these relationships with people saying, “I had this wow experience, and I’m so happy and delighted”, and when that happens, life becomes easy.

Tanya Pluckrose [26:34]
It does very much and it becomes just a natural thing you do in the air.

Christine Schlonski [26:39]
Yeah. And I don’t know about, I would guess you feel the same way. But for me, this is so much fun. You know, seeing people when they can’t believe that you just did this little extra for them or they did not see it coming and they are just, they send you a beautiful message. Whenever I see that, I’m just so all myself, because it’s so much fun to give that little extra, to really go that so-called extra mile. And it doesn’t need to feel like an extra mile.

Tanya Pluckrose [27:15]
No, not at all. But it’s all about I guess, Bob Burg teachings —

Christine Schlonski [27:25]
It just also in your wonderful

Tanya Pluckrose [27:27]
It is.

Christine Schlonski [27:30]
We both are a fan of, The Go-Giver, and it’s such an important book or book serious. I have every single one. And yeah, so thank you so much for sharing your wisdom today. And people must have gotten so much out of it because I made some mental notes. That’s really beautiful. Thank you so so much. I can’t wait for the next opportunity to interview you more.

Tanya Pluckrose [28:01]
Thank you, Christine.

Christine Schlonski [28:03]
Thank you so much. Bye.

Tanya Pluckrose [28:05]
Bye for now. Bye, bye.

Christine Schlonski [28:08]
Tanya touched a very, very important key today, the great client experience. And I’m quite sure if you’re listening, you have had not so great client experiences in your life. And you probably told yourself that this is not going to happen to you again. So I think it’s wonderful to learn from Tanya from all her experience at Qantas Airline and to really see how she was able to tweak and adjust the sales experiences for her clients so that client retention becomes easy. If you create raving fans, you just have an easier way to create revenue, to create value, to follow your heart. And I think Tanya’s example is a really one full example of deep care for your clients, of where to look and what to adjust in your business so it really comes from your heart, because we all know Heart Sells! Please share the love for Heart Sells! Podcast with a couple of your friends, maybe with your business partners and make sure that we can create this movement together of heart sellers who make the world a better place by deeply caring for their clients. And by making sure that they get the outcome they desire and have a wonderful sales experience. Have a wonderful day wherever you are in this beautiful world. And bye for now.