7 Tips to Build Relationships With Clients That Last
All you need to know to build strong client relationships and how to make them last.
Long-term clients tend to spend more over time. This can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, claims that a 5% increase of customer retention can result in more profits than a 25% increase. If you want to build small businesses that last, you must focus on building long-lasting relationships with your clients.
As with any relationship, it is important to work hard and put in the effort to ensure that your customers’ relationships are successful. What does this actually look like?
These are our top tips to help you build lasting, positive and mutually-beneficial relationships with clients.
1. To ensure a successful relationship, do the work upfront
It starts with building a solid relationship with your clients. There are steps that you can take to ensure your client relationships last.
Listed below are some of the first steps you should take:
LEARN MORE
Each client has their own needs, goals, and preferences. It’s crucial to spend time getting to know your client before you begin working on your first project. Find out:
- Why would they want to hire you?
- What do they hope to get from the relationship?
- What are their short and long-term goals
- Which work style do they prefer?
You can tailor your services and work style to each customer by learning more about them. This will improve the relationship.
ESTABLISH YOUR PREFERRED COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Every client is different, and so are their communication preferences. Others will prefer to be updated on your project status via phone calls, while others might get annoyed if you call them during their workday.
It is important to communicate with your clients using the preferred channels. Take, for example:
- Are they happy to receive project updates by phone or email?
- If you have an urgent question or concern, what is the best way to get in touch with them?
- Do they prefer that you submit work via Google Drive, email, Trello, or through a project management platform like Asana?
It is important to take the time to get to know your customer and build a relationship that will last.
SET PROPER EXPECTATIONS
It’s important to establish clear expectations with your clients before you start working on your first project.
Before you begin working together, you should agree to the following:
- Pricing and rates: Before you start your first project, it’s important that everyone is on the same page regarding pricing and rates. This will ensure that there are no surprises after you send your first invoice.
- Project timelines It is important to discuss the timelines of different types of work as well as your expectations regarding timelines. For example, would you request at least two weeks for new projects? Are they able to complete a project in 30 days? Do they have urgent jobs that need to be completed quickly? It is important to agree on how long each type of project will take.
- Boundaries When you start a relationship, it is the best time to (kindly!) set any boundaries. Do you answer emails after 9 pm or on weekends? Are you able to require payment within 30 calendar days after sending an invoice? Are you willing to wait 24 hours for non-urgent email replies? Let your client know what boundaries you have about working together and give them the chance to do the exact same.
2. Foster Open Communication
Open communication is key to building long-lasting client relationships. Clients need to feel comfortable contacting you and able to ask you questions.
Open communication with your client is possible by doing whatever you can. This may look different for each customer and every relationship.
- Regular conference calls
- Daily email updates
- Brainstorming sessions for the client and their staff
- In-person meetings
Your client will feel more at ease if you communicate with them regularly. This will make it more likely that they will become a regular client.
3. Go Above and Beyond
Your ability to show up for your client is a major factor in determining whether you have a great relationship or a great one.
Your client’s experience with you will be positive. You will also make it a point to go above and beyond for them. This will strengthen your relationship. Your clients will also find you as a trusted resource.
There are many ways that you can exceed client expectations, strengthen your relationship and go beyond.
- Help your client to maximize the value of your work. It’s quite another to teach them how to use it. Let’s take, for example, the website you created for your client. Instead of sending the files over, offer to train your client on how to navigate the backend and host a Q & A session to answer any questions they may have about the site.
- You can share your expertise beyond the scope of work. A client hired you to provide a service or product. You might have more to offer than that. You can learn more about your client and share your expertise with them. You will impress your client by going beyond the scope of your work. This may open up new opportunities for you to work together.
- Complete a project on time. This is a great way for clients to see that you are committed to your work and will go the extra mile in order to complete the project on schedule.
Your clients will feel respected and trusted when you go above and beyond. Clients will feel like you are a trusted partner, which can lead to lasting relationships.
4. Treat your client like a person
Building client relationships is like any other relationship. They are built on mutual respect and kindness. In other words, you must treat your client like a person if you wish to build a strong client relationship.
When building relationships with clients, a little kindness, warmth, and good old-fashioned common courtesy goes a long way.
Take, for example:
- If your client is going through major branding changes, you can check in and ask them how they are doing.
- Send an email to your client and ask how they are feeling, especially if they have been sick for a while.
- If you are wrapping up a project, don’t send the bill. Instead, send a polite note to thank them for processing your bill and ask them to get in touch with you with any questions.
It is important to treat your client with kindness and warmth. It’s important to not go beyond your professional limits. While you want to be friendly with your client, it is important not to overstep your professional boundaries. Avoid being too personal. Avoid any comments that could be considered offensive or inappropriate.
5. Get feedback and then implement it
You want to do the most for your clients and that means asking for feedback. You can’t strengthen your relationships if you don’t take feedback seriously and make improvements.
Listen to your client’s feedback. Ask questions. To ensure you are on the same page, repeat what you have understood to them. Next, use that feedback to improve the project together. Follow up to ensure that they are happy with the results.
You can show your clients that you listen to them, respect them and are willing to do what it takes to make sure they are happy with your work. This is a crucial element in building long-lasting client relationships.
3. Go Above and Beyond
Your ability to show up for your client is a major factor in determining whether you have a good or great relationship.
Your client’s experience with you will be positive. You will also make it a point to go above and beyond for them. This will strengthen your relationship. Your clients will also find you as a trusted resource.
There are many ways that you can exceed client expectations, strengthen your relationship and go beyond.
- Help your client to maximize the value of your work. It’s quite another to teach them how to use it. Let’s take, for example, the website you created for your client. Instead of sending the files over, offer to train your client on how to navigate the website’s backend or host a Q & A session to answer any questions they may have about the site.
- You can share your expertise beyond the scope of work. A client hired you to provide a service or product. You might have more to offer than that. You can learn more about your client and share your knowledge. You will impress your client by going beyond the scope of your work. This may open up new opportunities for you to work together.
- Complete a project on time. This is a great way for clients to see that you are committed to your work and will go the extra mile in order to complete the project on schedule.
Your clients will feel respected and trusted when you go above and beyond. Clients will feel like you are a trusted partner, which can lead to lasting relationships.
4. Treat your client like a person
Building client relationships is like any other relationship. They are built on mutual respect and kindness. In other words, you must treat your client like a person if you wish to build a strong relationship.
When building relationships with clients, a little kindness, warmth, and good old-fashioned common courtesy goes a long way.
Take, for example:
- If your client is going through major branding changes, you can check in and ask them how they are doing.
- Send an email to your client and ask how they are feeling, especially if they have been sick for a while.
- If you are wrapping up a project, don’t send the bill. Instead, send a polite note to thank them for processing your bill and ask them to get in touch with you with any questions.
It is important to treat your client with kindness and warmth. It’s important to not go beyond your professional limits. While you want to be friendly with your client, it is important not to overstep your professional boundaries. Avoid being too personal. Absolutely avoid any comments that could be considered offensive or inappropriate.
5. Get feedback and then implement it
You want to do the most for your clients and that means asking for feedback. You can’t strengthen your relationships unless you take feedback seriously and make improvements.
Listen to your client’s feedback. Ask questions. To ensure you are on the same page, repeat what you have understood to them. Next, use that feedback to improve the project together. Follow up to ensure that they are happy with the results.
You can show your clients that you listen to them, respect them and are willing to do what it takes to make sure they are happy with your work. This is a crucial element in building long-lasting client relationships.
6. Make their life easier
People value convenience and ease. You want to build strong and positive relationships with your clients. Make it as simple as possible.
Take, for example:
- You can request feedback from your client by using collaboration tools such as G Suite. This allows you to collaborate with them and include their edits and notes in real time.
- Offer to arrange for a client to have an on-site training session.
- Instead of requiring clients to pay your invoices with checks or direct deposit (which can be tedious), you can use the FreshBooks online payments feature to make it easier and quicker for them.
It’s simple: the client will be more inclined to work with you if it is easier and more straightforward.
7. Accept your mistakes
Trust is an essential part of any good relationship–including the relationships with your clients. Building trust begins with taking responsibility for what doesn’t go according to plan.
Everyone makes mistakes. If you try to hide your mistakes, clients won’t trust you and the relationship will suffer.
Just admit to your mistakes.
Did your client point out a typo in a post on social media that you sent? Recognize the error and apologize. Let them know that it will not happen again. Did one of your team members miss the deadline? Recognize the error and offer to apologize. Next, assure them that you will be speaking with your team member to ensure that work is submitted on schedule.
You’re human. You will make mistakes. If you admit to your mistakes, it’s not the end. It shows clients that you are open, honest, and accountable. It will also help you build a lasting client relationship.
These are some tips to build lasting relationships with clients
It is essential to find new clients when you run a small business. If you want your small business’s success, it is important to manage relationships with current clients. You can now build lasting client relationships and keep your clients coming back for many years.
