Many of us falsely believe that once we have a client they are ours for life. We stop doing the little things that differentiate us from our competition. Perhaps we rank order our clients in order of revenues received, and respond to them accordingly. Or we fail to form strong relationships that will get us through any “bumps in the road.”
Be a great advocate. People are looking for quality and service not just a good price. Most clients are willing to pay extra for the right connection, service and knowledge. Clients love to do business with people they like and enjoy, particularly vendors who share their products and services with their own clients.
Connections. Treat these clients as “gold” and look for the “little things” that make the difference. For example, if you enjoy researching family genealogy, share resources. If you love stock car racing, pics of nature, or a particular sport, connect with them on FaceBook and post your pics or other activities.
Responsiveness. Minimizing the importance of others’ requests will not keep them as your client. What may seem obvious to you, will not be readily apparent to others. If there are complaints, handle them as quickly as possible. If there is a constant nay-sayer, or you repeatedly receive the same or similar requests, provide these clients free training, either one-on-one or in a webinar.
Customer Service Blitz. Conduct a Customer Service Blitz designed to get your staff on the same page. This will allow them to do what they do best:
- Sales people focusing on selling
- Customer service advocates handling the details.
Train your staff in the nuances of client management, share legacy knowledge with them of client issues and situations. Encourage and enable them to continually cultivate client loyalty.
©Jeannette Seibly, 2010