Far too many professional services firms only see their customers once or twice a year, usually on the basis of clients paying a fee for every minute you spend together.
You should think of the clients you already have as a bit like old friends – you already know each other and a degree of trust has been built up during the relationship. This makes it much simpler to build up business through existing clients than it is to source new ones if you go about it the right way.
It’s up to you to do something to instigate contact more than the usual ‘once or twice’ annually. Follow up with your clients and keep in touch with them between the yearly events and your practice can benefit from some previously untapped sources of growth.
The first way to do this is to follow up on your last assignment. Tell your client that you’re conducting an informal survey and that you’d like some feedback on your service. A better but more expensive option is to have it conducted by a third party such as a survey or market research firm.
Ask if they were satisfied with the outcomes from the work you’ve just completed. Do they have any suggestions about how you could improve your service? If they like what you’ve done for them and don’t have any problems with your service you’ve just confirmed a potential source of referrals for new business.
This is not just a means of finding out any negatives about your practice. You will also verify what it is you’re doing right and where your strengths really lie. This kind of information can be invaluable when developing a marketing strategy.
And of course if clients do have some issues with your services you can reassure them that you’ll address the problems immediately. It’s better to know about problems and do something about them than to let dissatisfaction cost you a client as it inevitably will.
Clients that raise problems with you and then see you take action to correct them will feel they’ve been listened to. They’ll see that you care and sincerely want to give them the kind of service they need and want. This earns their loyalty and respect.
Take the opportunity to give your clients more than they expect from the relationship. You may have to look for these opportunities but it doesn’t take much to do something personal and earn a lasting appreciation. At least once a year, and at a time they’d least expect to hear from you, do something special for every one of your clients.
If you see a publication related to a client’s business activities send it to them with a brief note. If your client enjoys a particular cuisine and you can get a book of recipes for it surprise them with it. Don’t wait for a birthday or Christmas. It’s the informality of the gift that counts most.
The ease and availability of communications makes it possible to keep in touch through a variety of methods – emails, text messages, newsletters, faxes and even the traditional telephone calls and letters.
At least four other times a year prepare a communication for all your clients and get it to them in the most appropriate way. Let them know about the full range of services your practice offers. Whenever possible personalize it with their name at the top and your signature at the bottom.
If you’re doing a promotion of any kind don’t forget to include all your existing clients. You might be offering a complimentary succession planning consultation for prospective new clients and that should be offered to your existing clients as well.
So, where does your practice benefit from this investment of non-billable time and an expenditure of a few dollars, pounds or euros? If there’s additional work to be had from your existing clients you’re much more likely to get it than if you just sit back and wait for your client to make that annual pilgrimage to your office.
You’ll also prevent the defection of existing clients to a competitor who’s better at ‘schmoozing’ than you are. Many changes of professional services firms take place gradually – beginning with just one assignment unrelated to the existing work.
Clients that are happy with the service they receive from you will tell others. Their friends, members of their trade associations, others in civic and community groups – it’s amazing just how many people they interact with if they’re all counted up.
Will all this happen if you don’t reach out to your clients? The answer may be ‘yes’, but to a much lesser degree and definitely not as often as it will if you don’t just wait for your clients to visit you once or twice a year.
Copyright 2003, RAN ONE Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from www.ranone.com
Chris’ combination of academic credentials, career experience and temperament ideally suit his calling as a business development advisor. Clients say he has a mind for business and a heart for service.