Do your clients know that you have their back? That’s worth a lot to them right now. With the global uncertainty, personal and professional challenges, market shifts, and big changes in their personal and professional lives, they deeply appreciate knowing that you’re looking out for their best interests.
Should you just assume your clients appreciate and trust you? The old adage of “absence makes the heart grow fonder” doesn’t work when it comes to client loyalty. What I’ve found from my experience is that when your clients don’t hear from you regularly that absence makes them wander right over to your competition.
Today, it’s more important than ever to stay in touch with your prospects, and former and existing clients. One method I’ve been deploying, and teaching my private business coaching clients during these more challenging economic times, is what I call Accelerate Client Touchpoints or ACT.
I promise you that if you deploy ACT you will get better results than other marketing tactics you are trying right now. How do I know? Because these strategies are proven to work, especially during times of uncertainty.
Here are my 7 Strategies to ACT and cement a loyal relationship with your clients:
1). Track your communication
To develop trust and client loyalty, you need to stay in touch with your clients on a continual basis. Don’t leave it to your memory, an important client or prospect will slide through the cracks! I have a spreadsheet I use to track staying in touch with my corporate and private clients that I review weekly.
2). Schedule a touch-base conversation quarterly
Who should you call? Call your current clients, former clients, prospects who didn’t hire you, people on your newsletter list, and other business contacts. Ask them if you can set up a short conversation.
3). Ask them about their recent challenges
Go into these conversations without an agenda of selling anything. Genuinely ask them about their recent challenges, situation, or opportunities they may be facing to see if that’s something you can help them achieve. Listen carefully with a willingness to discover new insight on what would be most helpful to your clients right now.
4). Share new offerings without being pushy
In the touch-base conversation, you can subtly talk with them about your new service offerings or any new innovative strategies you have learned since you last worked with them. This often gets their wheels turning as they think about how they could benefit from this or refer you to someone else they know who could.
5). Don’t forget to call your corporate clients
It’s people in organizations that hire you, not the company. Have you done a workshop or speaking engagement for any organizations in the last few years? Call the person you worked with at the company for a touch-base conversation. By using the ACT method, you are more likely to gain future work than your competitor that doesn’t maintain a close, trusting relationship.
6). Highlight your clients and earn their gratitude
If you have a podcast, invite your client to share their expertise. You could also highlight them in your blog or newsletter, or collaborate with them on a white paper. This is a fantastic way to show you value their expertise so much you want your community to hear more about their keys to success. Not only does it cement this client relationship, it also helps prospects see the kind of relationship you have with your clients.
7). Ask for Referrals, Testimonials, References (My RTR Strategy)
I continually ask both my former and current clients for referrals, testimonials and to be a reference for me, if needed in the future. Recently, I went back to a former client who I worked with several years ago and requested a testimonial because I had forgotten to ask for one at the time. I was delighted when they said, “We’re happy to give you one for coaching our people. Would you also like one for your speaking engagement?” Nothing like asking for one and getting two!
I’ve found the ACT method to be the best overall strategy for growing your revenues and your business because it really does cement the bond of client loyalty. And it will not only increase your revenues from current and former clients, but it will also attract new clients as well. As your reputation for high-quality, individualized service grows, more and more private clients and blue-chip corporate organizations will want it for themselves.
Sarah’s Predictable Results Insights
- How often do you schedule touch-base conversations with prospects and clients and do you have a system for tracking them?
- Are there clients you should go back to and ask for a testimonial or referral?
- Which clients could you highlight in an upcoming podcast, blog, or newsletter?