It’s far easier to retain clients than find new ones. And the best way to keep the valuable clients you know and love is with great customer service. In the world of the creative professional, customer service starts by offering both a professional experience and a great creative product. But it doesn’t end there. Superior customer service is also about anticipating and meeting your client’s needs.
Here are seven strategies for creating relationships with your clients so they keep coming back:
1. Commit to Knowing Your Client
It’s one thing to bang out a Web site or brochure, quite another to take the time to learn the ins and outs of your client’s business, customers, competitors, and industry. You don’t get paid for this extra work, but it will help you create more appropriate and compelling products. It will also help you anticipate the needs of your clients and give you a head start on creating proposals for upcoming projects. And there’s another good reason to know your client well: People like to do business with people who know their business. The more knowledge you possess about your client, the more valuable a partner you become.
2. Create Unique Customer Experiences
Naturally, every client wants you to meet deadlines with professional products and competitive prices. But beyond that, client needs may diverge tremendously. Do they want to meet in their offices or do business over the phone? Do they want extra creative handholding or would they prefer to manage things themselves? Try to determine the individual needs of each client and do your best to satisfy them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions that help you shape an individual client experience road map: “What are your goals for this project?” “How will you measure success?” “How do you like to work?” From the information you glean, create a customer experience road map unique to each client.
3. Create Bridges of Connectivity and Collaboration
No matter how brilliant you may be, if clients have trouble reaching you, they won’t be satisfied. This doesn’t mean you have to be glued to the phone 24/7. Instead, make it easy for the client to collaborate with you in multiple ways. Use instant messaging, Web conferencing, or private Web pages on your Web site to post client material. Once you find the tools that are most appropriate and integrate them into your workflow, you can use these tools as a selling point during the initial phase of a relationship. The more you enhance your connectivity and collaboration capabilities, the better positioned you’ll be to deliver a positive customer experience at every customer touch point, be it on the Web, phone, via email, or face to face.
4. Build Trust
Aside from exuding an air of confidence, the best way to build trust is to make only those commitments and promises you know you can keep, and then keep them, even if you have to move heaven and earth to do so. Building trust is not easy; you may have to work overtime to get a job done or stretch your creative boundaries. But trust is a rare commodity that is highly valued in the business world, and once you earn it, clients will be slow to part with you.
5. Be Yourself
There is a terrible misconception that business people should present themselves as something other than who they are. Hence the adage, “If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made.” You can do one better and actually be sincere. Think about your enduring business relationships. Chances are, they’re cemented by an honest friendship. Don’t be afraid to bring up life goals, aspirations, and hobbies. Most business people have dozens of business acquaintances but only a few friends. Strive to be one.
6. Continually Modify Your Approach
Every company, even a company of one, should track the performance of its people, processes, and workflows to determine how well they’re delivering a satisfying client experience. Here are some key questions to keep in mind.
- Are we managing all our client interactions well from first contact to last?
- Can client information be accessed by every one who needs it, wherever they’re located?
- Are we continually identifying the needs of individual clients and providing the best response to the right customers at the right time?
When it comes to relationships, there is always room for improvement.
7. Ask the Most Important Question of All
And now, what’s the most important question you can ask your existing clients? It’s this: “What else can I do for you?”
If that sounds ridiculously obvious, fundamental, and anti-climactic, that’s because it is. But when was the last time you asked this question? Rather than seeming self-serving, to the client this question suggests that you understand they have needs beyond the ones you’re currently fulfilling. Don’t be afraid to ask. You might be surprised at the answer.
This article was last modified on December 17, 2022
This article was first published on April 2, 2007
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