Client Communication
Successful client relations or even more importantly…client retention, begins with communication.
Successful client relations or even more importantly…client retention, begins with communication. Lot’s of communication! And in this economy, we can not afford to take clients for granted. This is key for the success of any small business.
It’s better to contact current clients more often than not. By ignoring to do so, we become vulnerable to our competitors and risk losing them. This is easily avoidable by simply staying in touch.
Acquiring new clients is more expensive than retaining them. In a time when every dollar counts, monitoring this becomes vital to the health of a company. Whether your market is B2B or B2C, developing an effective strategy to communicate with clients is key.
Here are some simple steps that can save a lot of time, money and most importantly…clients!
• Call your clients. This may sound remedial, but you’d be surprised how many sales reps don’t keep in touch with their clients, only to find out they lost them to a competitor due to lack of communication. Remember, if you’re not calling your clients, someone else is!
• Listen to your clients. Find out what makes them tick. Get to know their industry. Find out their wants and needs and educate them.
• Advertise regularly. A simple way to keep your name in front of your client is to send a weekly, monthly or quarterly newsletter. This can be done using email and is an inexpensive way to reach out to clients.
• Keep accurate records. Having the right contact management software is just as critical as having a great product or service. You need to be able to efficiently track, record and make accurate notes for all clients.
• Surprise them. This is the fun part of the business and it also allows you to show a little of your personal side. After all, we are dealing with people! Buy a gift card for a client just as a thank you. Take them to lunch or dinner or add something extra to their order. Give them a discount “just because”. These little gestures can go a long way with clients.
• Be honest. It’s easy to want to “pass the buck” when a problem occurs, but clients can see right through that. So it’s best to own up to mistakes right away. Integrity and character go farther than an excuse.
If you follow these tips consistently along with providing great customer service, I’m sure you’ll see improvement with your client relationships. At the very least, your competitors will have a hard time trying to lure them away from you. Under promise and over deliver…you can’t go wrong.
