Build Strong Client Relationships Using These 3 Effective Tactics7 min read

OK, you’ve used our prospecting and klosing advice and tips and landed new customers.

Way to go! 

But, what now? 

You can’t just leave them be and wait for them to reach out if they stumble upon an issue with your product or service. So, if they don’t ping you and complain that something isn’t working properly, you’re good, right? 

No, very wrong. 

First of all, stats say that 96% of unhappy customers don’t complain, but 91% of them simply leave without any explanation. So, you can’t conclude that if your clients are silent, they are happy with your product. 

Secondly, even if your product or service is awesome, it’s not something that will set you apart from others who have an equally great offer. But if you build an authentic, genuine, and deep relationship with your customers, they will be ready to opt for you even if somebody else with a shinier,  faster, and more feature-rich product comes along. 

Let’s get to the point and see how to wow your customers and make them not only come for more but also promote your brand. 

Reach Out First and Check In Frequently 

As this is the stage in which you have to deliver on your promises, it’s crucial to find out whether your attempts are successful.

Offer tips, guidance, and help with anything they might need. 

This has to go beyond your regular onboarding process, which is definitely essential but won’t contribute much to the process of building strong client relationships if you don’t regularly check in with your customers. 

Every great salesperson goes out of their way to learn what their clients actually think about their product or service as that’s the only way to provide superb customer experience. Bear with me, as we’re not talking about vanity metrics here but about really understanding what works and what doesn’t so that you can fine-tune your approach to their needs.

That’s why you should always be proactive about obtaining and encouraging feedback. 

Don’t be afraid to ask the following:

• What can I do to improve my service to you?
• Is there anything that I should do differently?
• How can I help your business be more successful?
• Are there any pain points that we need to address? 

Now comes the most important part of this tactic – it’s crucial to take your customers’ remarks and feedback seriously and make any necessary changes. 

Set regular check-ins to see how they’re progressing with their business goals. It can be every few days at the beginning of your relationship and a couple of times a month later. 

As things can get busy on your part, make sure to always remember to reach out – create an email sequence in advance and automate it with Autoklose. That way you won’t forget to stay in touch and make an appointment with your customers. 

Don’t forget that your competitors are constantly on the prowl, waiting to comfort your unhappy customers and lure them into leaving you. 

Treat Your Clients as Human Beings 

It’s so easy to be dazzled by all the dollar signs and figures, and start observing your client as an ATM. 

But, the only way to actually connect with your largest clients on a meaningful level is to treat them as human beings. 

Start with getting to know them better and show them that you care. It can be hard to remember everything they say about themselves and their business, so it’s a good idea to take detailed notes that you can later use to refresh your memory. These notes will help you understand your clients and learn to speak their language. 

What I mean is remembering things like their favorite sports team, their family members, important business milestones, their dreams, and goals. It’s a good idea to store your notes in your CRM tool so that you and your team can easily access all the relevant information about every client at any time. 

All this will help you build rapport and personalize your communication with every client individually. 

By referring to certain things you discussed previously or details about their business, you’ll show them that you listen – and that’s an absolute must. Imagine how a client feels if they have to constantly repeat what their goals are all over again. It’s frustrating and clearly shows that you don’t care about them but only about closing a deal and putting the money in your pocket. 

There’s another linguistic nuance that I think matters when you’re talking to your clients. Namely, as the word “educate” is widely used when we want to refer to sharing our knowledge and experience with our clients, it’s perhaps a much better idea to use “collaborate” indirect communication. 

That way you won’t position yourself as someone superior to them. You’re practically business partners and you exchange your knowledge and expertise with them, so be mindful about this. 

Set Expectations and Exceed Them 

While it’s essential to offer your clients something that your competitors don’t, it’s crucial to deliver. 

Ask yourself whether you have what they need before making every promise. Be honest with yourself first and think about your own capabilities and deadlines. Are there any limitations that you need to take into consideration? 

One of the worst things you can do is overselling yourself and then failing to meet your clients’ expectations. 

Instead of trying to mesmerize them with all the new features that haven’t been built yet, be realistic and promise only that the existing ones will work smoothly. This sincere approach will allow you to impress your clients by adding them value once your new features are ready. 

Even small tokens of appreciation, such as a hand-written thank you note or a birthday card with a small value-adding feature will matter. You can also acknowledge your loyal clients by upgrading their subscriptions after a certain milestone. 

Another factor that contributes to exceeding expectations is making sure that every interaction your customer has with your brand is memorable. This means being responsive on social media channels and having a fast, well-optimized website,  as well as a helpful, expert support team. Not only will this help you boost your conversions, but it will also make sure that your customers are happy with your overall service. 

I can’t stress enough how important it is to be accessible to your clients. It’s the cornerstone of superb customer service and will result in increased customer loyalty. In other words, when your clients know that they can get in touch with you every time they have an issue that needs to be resolved and that you’re highly responsive, they’ll understand that they can rely on you. 

Be a good and dedicated friend to your clients and they will reciprocate with their loyalty.