Clientele is the lifeblood of any
business. In a suffering economy it is even more imperative to keep and
maintain good client relationships. A business needs to acquire clientele as
well as keep them, but the methods needed to successfully accomplish these
tasks differ. This how-to will show you how to maintain solid client
relationships.
Steps
Devote Time & Effort to Client
Relationships. The success of any venture depends
on the merit of the relationships developed between all those concerned
wherein. A good working relationship, like a good friendship, builds a solid
connection and understanding between parties.
To attain such a bond takes more
than regular communication, although an important aspect, but more-so involves
devoting time and effort into understanding the client, their industry and the
circumstances involved.
Grow Your Client Relationships. Growing and preserving valuable and worthwhile
relationships with clients yields many rewards. A high quality, functioning
relationship allows a company to demonstrate their integrity, professionalism
and proficiency. A client’s experience is one of the most significant ways by
which your company will be evaluated. Apart from advertising and promotional
material, focus on the old proverb: ‘actions speak louder than words’.
The client’s experience will form the opinions and voice they make in the open
business world. This voice will greatly affect the company’s reputation in the
marketplace and beyond. Structuring and sustaining a successful client
association is a gainful practice which boosts productivity and competence.
Grumbling, disputes and misunderstandings expend vast amounts of time and money
– a good client relationship ensures to the client that there will be a rapid
and peaceful resolution of any troubles or conflicts. Time is money, and no one
likes losing time.
Take a Unique Approach for
Multifaceted Client Relationships.
Where a company employs a number of salesman or personnel who work with an
individual client over a period of time, it is vital to make clear which person
has the main duty for sustaining that client’s relationship. The input of other
employees, over and above their procedural roles, should be plain, simple and
to the point, careful not to contradict already understood material. A unique
approach to customer care is often needed to handle relationships with larger
client organizations. It is key for the salesman or personnel to recognize the
intricacy of the organization’s structure, the arrangement of client contacts
within the organization, and the organization’s decision making procedures. It
is essential to maintain regular contact with the client to ensure a continual
and mutually beneficial good working relationship.
Lay the Groundwork. The first step in laying the groundwork between the company
and the client is taking the time to know the client, as well as their business
practices. Although policies may vary, the preliminary stages may include phone
calls, meetings with the client and other significant people within the
company, and relevant background research. It is critical to be clear about how
their company will benefit from a relationship with your company, as well as
the proposed way of achieving this. An essential role of the salesman or
personnel is to identify the needs of the client, and seek a solution to meet
those needs. Successful communication of vision, goals and risks is a
fundamental part of relationship building.
Operate with Values. The bottom line is to act with professionalism, proficiency
and integrity at all times. Document Everything. Spelling out the procedures
and expectations between the two companies on paper will greatly minimize
misunderstandings. A Letter of Approval is often the first piece of
documentation to be shown to the client, giving the salesman or personnel
permission to proceed. This is a binding agreement between parties, initiated
upon signing. Ideally, the parties should then proceed with an official
contract to verify the aspects of the job to be done, as well as charges and
fees to be collected. Contract papers have an important function in setting up
and preserving a good client relationship. The degree of detail necessary
depends on the probability of deviation, but crucial areas that must be covered
are the scope, fees and liability to be carried by the salesman or company. Two
other areas that are often covered in contract documents are the degree of
requirement of parties, and the way in which changes to the original agreement
will be handled. This includes changes to the scope, rate and/or time frame.
Keep Ongoing Communication. All relationships need nurturing. One of the most common
reasons for the corrosion of a relationship is the perception of being taken
for granted. The worst perception a client can have is to feel insignificant or
forgotten. The salesman or personnel is accountable for the health of any
client relationship, and for the amount of initial groundwork laid in the
beginning must be continual throughout the life of the relationship.
Cultivate the Relationship through Communication. Broad, simple and regular communication is the most
effective means of cultivating a client relationship. Regular updates through
progress reports, phone calls, or email are very beneficial - recording and
monitoring the ongoing communication is useful for checks and balances on the
health of that relationship. Social contact on a regular basis promotes the
health of that relationship as the client feels ‘taken care of’ and reduces
so-called “breakdowns” in communication. Also, should bad news need to be
relayed to a client, the effect of that news is greatly lessened when there has
not been a communication gap. “No news is good news” does not apply to
strong relationships. Failure to communicate only increases the distance and
weakens the bond between the parties. It will be difficult to weather the storm
of disappointment with a client with whom the salesman shares a weak bond.
Where a well-built relationship exists, the client is less likely to point
fingers and lay blame, and more likely to work optimistically with the salesman
or personnel to attain the necessary solution.
Never Let a Client Go. Ideally, there is a mutual relationship of trust and
support between parties. Nonetheless, complex situations can arise, despite the
efforts on the part of the salesman. Sometimes clients have unrealistic,
unfeasible or inappropriate expectations for the salesman. In such
circumstances, the first step is to try and revive the relationship referring
back to the original contract or other documentation to support the integrity
and efforts made on behalf of the client. If this effort proves to be in vain,
a third party may be necessary to come in as another ‘voice of reason’ and
mediate the situation - this may be another salesman or other neutral person
within your firm. This liaison may soften the tension between the original
salesman and the client, and often the relationship between them can be
restored. However, if all efforts have been exhausted, the salesman may have no
other alternative but to make written note of the facts of the situation,
demonstrating that the client has substantially breached the terms of the
contract, and continue on with company procedures concerning a breach of
contract. At this point, a “cooling off” time maybe necessary, but like a
psycho ex-boyfriend, you never let a client go! Once a client always a
client, and time heals all wounds. Revisit that client after time has done its
work.
End Well. Ending well means proper completion of all documentation
and evaluating the client’s satisfaction. Feedback from clients is a great way
to assess the health of the relationship. A happy client will be a promoter for
the salesman and the firm, potentially recommending other clients and otherwise
becoming a beacon of free advertising.
Keep in Contact with a Client. Bottom line: A company needs repeat service from their
clients. Keeping in contact with clients in between accounts will increase the
chance of more accounts being given, and is the least expensive form of
marketing out there. Classify the clients with the most potential for continual
work and execute a schedule to keep in regular contact with them. Use computer
client management software and/or calendars to remind you to call or email a
client, and track the communication. Other tactics include: sending
e-newsletters, spotlighting the client’s successes through an online format
(i.e. press release, website, etc), or offering opportunities for social
contact (i.e. meeting at mutual associations, business conferences, network meetings,
etc).
This Article is
Credited to WIKIHOW
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