The simplest way to make clients feel supported
I am extremely geographically challenged.
(Before GPS, I experienced many panic attacks after driving the wrong way on the highway for several hours.)
But in Japan, once I figured out that addresses are BLOCKS and not STREETS - I never really felt lost.
Despite the language barrier!
Me in the middle of Tokyo
That's because Japan has SYSTEMS and COMMUNICATES THEM CLEARLY.
Their metro system is always clearly labeled.
Just follow the signs, and you will always get on the right train!
And the stops are numbered! and always on a screen! So you always get off at the right stop.
Some of their restaurants have a ticket system to get a seat, pretty different than anywhere I've been in America.
BUT! They have photos, diagrams, and people showing you exactly what to do.
Even the hikes I went on this trip had MANY maps posted throughout the trail and very clearly marked points along the way.
When we paid admission to the park, the park ranger who gave us our tickets also gave us a map, which he wrote all over and explained in great detail.
Japan's systems are well thought out and overcommunicated. That makes me feel HELD like a newborn baby.
You and your clients don't have a language barrier, but your offer might still feel totally foreign to them.
They don’t know your jargon.
They don’t know your process.
They don’t know which metaphorical stairs to take to get to the right gate.
Our job is to make the process feel like the Tokyo Metro: unmistakably clear.
Overcommunicating reduces your client's anxiety before it even starts.
And it shows them you’ve thought about their experience before they ever step into it.
This can be as simple as:
forms with instructions that fully explain what is needed from them.
reminder emails that fire automatically
timelines that get repeated at every checkpoint
“here’s what happens next” moments built into the process
removing any piece of friction, you know people regularly trip over
A Process Mapping session helps you determine WHAT your system is.
And! it also highlights the moments where you should be communicating with your client so they never feel lost.
Respond to this email and let me know:
When working with you, does your client feel like..
🗽 They are navigating the NYC subway system?
OR
🎌 Being carried with ease through Japan's subway system?
( here are a few more photos from our trip 😊 )
