Keep Your Clients Coming Back

As a business success coach and a sales coach, I work with business people whose clients are everything from large companies in Califo
ia that have been in business for decades to micro businesses that have started in the last two years.

Whoever your clients are, it is far more cost-effective to keep selling and servicing your current clients than to go out and find new clients to replace them. Yet, most businesses spend far more effort, money and time on finding new clients than on keeping the ones they already have. Clients do business with a company when they know, like and trust them and believe that the company can provide them value. A client will continue to do business with a company for those same reasons.

If you want to keep your clients coming back, use the following proven strategies for successful client retention.

Stay in Contact with Your Clients

There are several ways to stay in contact with your clients. It is important to use more than one of these methods of communication to stay in contact with them. nno Send out a quarterly company newsletter to keep your name in front of them and let them know the latest happenings in your organization. nno Send them articles you think will be of interest to them. Articles can be found easily in magazines, newspapers or on the world-wide-web. When you send clippings to a client you are letting them know that you are thinking of them. nno Host client seminars to allow your clients to come and find out about the changing procedures and future trends in your industry. This is a great opportunity to discuss with them any questions or challenges they are having in working with you in an informal setting. nno Send your clients press releases when you are in the news or when you want them to know about an upcoming media event your company is involved with. nno An under-utilized, fun, simple and sure way to make your contacts happy is to send them birthday cards. nno It is not enough to send out gold embossed holiday cards to your clients. They should be hand-addressed and signed by everyone in the firm that the clients come in contact with. Clients expect a holiday card, go the extra mile and make it a creative one and you will win them over.

Ask for Their Input nno Everybody has an opinion that they want to share. Ask your clients how you can better serve them. Ask them what they like most and least about working with you. Ask them what other services they would like to see you offer. You can set up an in-person formal interview or an informal phone call or mail a questionnaire. If you use a questionnaire, be sure to acknowledge that it was received and that you appreciate them taking the time to fill it out. If you can give them a token of your appreciation for their feedback, even better.

Create Lasting Relationships nno Get to know your clients on a personal level. Ask some personal, but not too personal, questions. Are they married? Do they have children? Are they a track and field fan or a Star Trek fan? On a professional level, you want to know the goals and responsibilities of your clients and contacts in the company. Ask them who they report to and who can help you when they are not available. Knowledge is power. The more you know about your clients and contacts the easier it is to cultivate genuine relationships with them and accommodate their needs. nno Make sure you accept invitations when clients invite you to events they are hosting or attending. In these informal settings, new services are often sold and new ideas are the best received. nno Everybody loves a free lunch. Consider taking your clients someplace that shows that you appreciate their business. Make sure the restaurant is not so expensive that your clients think that they are paying you too much. nno Invite your clients to events that you are attending and that you think they will enjoy. This is another informal setting that can solidify a client/vendor relationship. nno When applicable, read the newsletters your clients send you. Keep abreast of the changes in their company and industry so you can know how these changes will affect your relationship with them. nno In our chaotic economic climate, the fastest way to lose an account is to lose your contact person. Know the names and responsibilities of several people in the client's organizations and build relationships with all of them.

Know and Support Their Business nno Visit the client's work place as often as possible. Read their annual reports and review their marketing materials to become familiar with the mission and objectives of the organization and the image they project to the public. nno Let your clients know of opportunities their organization may be interested in, such as community service projects, political events, or publications they might advertise in. nno Always ask. The best way to find out how you can support your clients and increase your & their success is to ask them how you can help. Be sure to follow through and do what they ask. This will secure your business with them for a long time.

Send Them Business nno Sell your clients. In your business you come in contact with different people and firms that are potential clients for your clients. Do what you can to promote your clients. Everyone appreciates referrals and when you give a referral to a client, you are saying that their success is important to you.

Let Them Know You Appreciate Their Business

Everybody likes to hear "thank you." Look for different ways you can say "thank you" to your clients. You can call them to say thank you, send them gifts, find innovative ways to show your appreciation. nnn