Businesses sometimes work so hard on trying to establish new connections that they forget to attend to existing clients. However, if one moves on to the next deal or project at hand without taking the necessary time to stay in touch with clients, it is no surprise that sales will face a downward spiral. Prospecting fills the funnel, but taking care of current relationships enhances it. Both are imperative for the life force of one’s company. The following are five tips on maintaining great rapport with your customers.
Make Dials
Just like you would schedule a meeting with a new prospect, do the same with established clients. Your competitors are always on the hunt to find clients, so don’t ignore yours. Stay connected and keep the lines of communication open. Pick up the phone and follow up to ask about your client or teams’ overall experience in dealing with your company. Listen carefully. For instance, you can call “Sam” or “Jane” to update them on your new product or service. Finding out how things are going on a regular basis creates rapport.
Request Information
What better way to stay in touch with your clients and learn more about them than by asking them to complete a short questionnaire? This should be no longer than a page in length, with a simple rating system of 1-10. Questions like, “Would you include this food on your menu at your next event?” or “Rate our service during your last event” are to the point. As an incentive, offer a chance to win a complimentary dining experience at a chosen restaurant once they submit the survey. Keeping it fun and light almost always draws people to you. Their feedback will also be useful for future calls and updates.
Send Out Regular Newsletters
Quarterly newsletters are a great way to stay in touch, as they provide pertinent industry updates. But don’t stop there! Pick up the phone and suggest a lunch or coffee meeting with your clients so you can discuss market updates face to face. Maintain rapport, because we all want to be valued. Your clients will open up and relax outside their usual work environment, and so will you. Building rapport takes effort–how many times have you tried reaching out to cold prospects only to be declined because of a solid long-term business relationship they already have in place? Become one of those people to your clients.
Tell Memorable Stories
Share stories outside of business that everyone can relate to: Teenage children, traffic, etc. The key is to make the story relevant to your client’s circumstances. Do you want to motivate or inspire them? Think about what you are trying to evoke. Be yourself and use descriptive words. Your goal can simply be an icebreaker to help them laugh and relax. Stories add emotion to everyday communication. Advertisers know this is the best way to capture attention and develop connections to specific people or products. Some people like small talk, but everyone likes a good story that makes them reflect about their current situation and how they can improve it. Start personally and move into business.
Make Them Feel Important
Remembering relevant dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, children’s graduations or anything else mentioned in passing conversation is by far worth noting. Respond to your clients accordingly. Send cards and small gifts where appropriate, and always pick up the phone to stay in touch. Small actions will stay in their mind. It’s all about accumulated gestures! The more energy you put into finding out your client’s changing interests, requirements or desires, the more you can respond accordingly. In some cases, if things did not go as planned with a transaction, as mistakes do happen from time to time, picking up the phone can save the day. Not everyone complains; some people simply move on.
Client relationships take work, so stay at the forefront. Don’t take people or the business they bring for granted. Competitors are waiting for new cracks or loopholes to appear in order to get in. It will be much harder for them to convince well-maintained, happy clients to work with them instead of you if you put in the effort. This goes beyond damage control. Happy people talk to everyone. You know what this means for unhappy people.
