Can you imagine that 20% of new businesses fail within the first year? The latest numbers are even sadder due to the chaos caused by the pandemic spread. Not all of these companies that suffer from drastic changes are new; veterans also have to adapt to the fast-paced business environment. If you want your long-term clients to stay with you for ages and new customers to knock on your doors, building healthy client relationships is a must-have.
Here are seven efficient tips to strengthen a linkage with your customers:
Speak the same language with a client
Do you know that a proven way ‘to kill’ your good relationships with a client is speaking different languages? We don’t mean that you forget to invite an interpreter for a meeting with a foreign guest. What we mean is that experts often forget that other people may not understand their professional slang. It is a normal desire to show what an ace specialist you are to hook a client. Still, don’t overact in your attempt to prove your mastery.
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Say ‘no’ to a cliched approach
The second common mistake that ruins 90% of business connections is that companies work based on a clichéd approach with every client. Experts forget that an efficient strategy for one customer can be failing for another one. Here is what potential clients expect to hear from you while considering whether to hire your company or not:
- What is your primary goal?
- What is the timeframe for completing a project?
- What style of work and communication do you prefer?
In other words, show that you take each client individually and get the time to familiarize yourself with their needs.
Prove your expertise
Now, when you’ve presented yourself well, it’s time to prove your words with deeds. Show your client that all people working in your company are true gurus in their areas. Prepare an in-detail plan with a step-by-step scheme of how you will move to the customer’s target. Also, don’t forget to share mid-term results to ensure that you move in the right direction.
Stay in touch
It’s an illusion that long-standing business connections can exist without sufficient interaction. It’s crucial to stay in touch with your clients amid cooperation. At the same time, don’t be too annoying! It will be ill manners to text your business partners in messengers to say “Good Morning” or share cute videos with puppies in a chat. Digital etiquette doesn’t approve of such behavior. Instead, keep your clients updated about results so that they don’t feel neglected or ignored.
Be proactive
Statistics say that around 13% of displeased customers will tell twenty other people about their bad experience with a company. In their turn, these twenty people will tell it to their pals, and so forth. If you don’t want to see your company on this list, try to be proactive. Before you rush to hire a fortune-teller for this job, we have a better solution. Learn to listen to your client, and you will recognise a mood change with ease. Thus, you can constantly adjust your strategy and save your business from falling into ‘bad’ statistics.
Don’t give undoable promises
Understandably, growing competitiveness in the market often forces entrepreneurs to make ample promises to attract a client. The trouble begins when you can’t keep your word because, initially, you set unreachable goals. As a result, your company risks losing a customer and gaining a bad reputation. Thus, never shoot for the stars if you realize that a mission is impossible.
Don’t disappear after
It’s important to keep in touch with customers amid your cooperation and afterward. Don’t disappear from a client’s radar as soon as you complete a project. Ask your clients for feedback and make sure that they stay satisfied with your work. It will show people that you value their opinions. Besides, good manners boost your chances that a happy client will recommend your services to others.
Concluding thoughts
Building healthy and long-standing client relationships is easier than you may think. Just get rid of a cliched approach in your work and treat each customer as an individual. We hope our recommendations will help you develop a strong linkage with your current and potential clients.
Tommy Williamson did his degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. He has an ongoing interest in mental health and well-being.
