The relationship you have with your clients is one of the most valuable assets your firm will ever have. Your existing clients are your best promotional tool.Are you taking special steps every day to build strong relationships with your clients? You need to, if you want those clients to keep bragging to other’s about your services. Marketers everywhere will tell you that it is easier to keep an existing client than to find a new one. Besides, you get paid to service clients. You don’t get paid to find them.
Here are five ways you can build client loyalty and make sure that today’s clients are also tomorrow’s clients:
Always go the extra mile.
Assist your clients at inventory time, and keep up on the “goings-on” in your client’s industry. Offer to help them locate other professional services (attorneys, financial analysts, insurance agents, etc.) that they might need.
Develop a solid understanding of your clients’ needs
You can start doing this by listening carefully to their feedback. Don’t assume that you know what your clients’ expectations are; you may end up giving them something they don’t really want.
Be Proactive about finding client concerns or problems that you can address
Probe gently when clients seem reluctant to tell you what’s going on in their minds. Sometimes it’s difficult for clients to put their feelings and opinions into words. Demonstrate true caring for their needs by making an effort to draw them out rather than letting matters drop.
Never say never
Even if a client’s request is virtually impossible for you to fulfill, offer to try your best. If you find that despite your best efforts you cannot come through with exactly what the client wanted, offer an alternative consider throwing in a bonus to sweeten the deal (ie, a special report, or research).
Call back quickly
Keep client call backs on the front burner. You shouldn’t let clients wait for information. Even if their requests don’t seem particularly urgent to you, they are to your clients.
The Payoff for having a great client relationship
As you are mindful of the key points above, your client retention will become better and better. Demonstrating to your clients that not only their business, but the client themselves is important to you, you create a relationship that ascends from purely business to friendship.The real trick to a client feeling that you care about them is for you to really feel that way. When you express genuine concern for a client’s situation, they will consider you more than just a business contact, and people like to do business with friends. In marketing, one learns that people are motivated to do something either because it makes sense to do so (convinced in the mind) or they want to do so on an emotional level. Most of the best marketers are those that appeal on the emotional level. Once your clients know that you care about them and their business, you have given yourself a truly unique competitive advantage that simply cannot purchase for any price.With a great business relationship with a client and as you show them that you can make them more profitable, you will find them more than willing to give you testimonials or referrals. When business comes to you, rather than having to hunt it down, life is just a whole lot more fun and you will have much more financial stability in your business.
For Those Just Getting Started
If you are just getting started with your own Accounting and Bookkeeping service, or are considering doing so, we have compiled many resources to help you get started quickly and make you achieve profitability in the shortest time possible. Even if you are still at the “Why would I want to start my own business?” stage, we will show you why starting an Accounting and Bookkeeping service may just be the best and last career move you will ever love.Learn Why an Accounting Service Will Best Achieve Your Financial Goals
