Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash
Even if you’ve had a stellar relationship with your clients, it behooves you to be extra careful.
In many communities, the uncertainty from the coronavirus outbreak has been accompanied by economic, political and social unrest.
The pandemic and other developments have implications for your revenue and client relationships. Trust issues are likely to become a factor with some or many of your clients.
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It’s important to alleviate and eliminate their weariness and uncertainty, and to earn their trust in you and in your business.
Besides, why take the relationships for granted?
Precautions to take:
1. Complete a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis for each relationship. Assume your clients will have some apprehension and will check you out as though they don’t know you.
In essence, conduct an evaluation and marketing needs assessment.
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2. Design and implement a strategic plan. Your planning must include your web site and search-engine optimization, valuation propositions, logical site navigation and keywords.
The right keywords will need to lead to insightful content that reassures them that you will serve them efficiently. Convey your empathy and experience.
3. Treat it like a brand new relationship. Establish your authority. Leave no doubt about your expertise in the community. Share your knowledge and express confidence that everything’s going to be A-OK.
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4. Manage your client relationships. Be consistent in your client service with no negative surprises. You’ll want to project stability, trustworthiness, and an attitude of gratitude and service.
Make certain your clients are confident in your leadership and that the projects will be successfully completed on time and within budget.
In fact, make certain you use the magic words, thank you, at every opportunity verbally in meetings and in writing.
From the Coach’s Corner, here are related sources of information:
6 Tips to Increase the Quality, Quantity of Your Client Referrals — To obtain great referrals, make sure you’re a good steward of your already-existing circle of associates and clients – potential centers of influence.
10 Tips for Success in Talking with Clients about Money — Tips for consultants and financial advisors to communicate with current and prospective clients in money matters.
Consulting: Effective Management of Difficult Clients — Start with this premise: You should be focused on the continuous, improvement and performance of your firm. If you have difficult clients, here’s what you can do about it.
Consultants – How to Help Clients Deal with an Emotional Crisis — No matter what kind of a consulting practice you have, it’s sometimes necessary to help clients deal emotionally with a business crisis. If you’re a management consultant and you’ve branded yourself well, the clients see you as a trusted confidante and visionary.
Thanksgiving — Ideas to Thank Your Clients, Associates — Thanksgiving is a great time to spend with family and to give thanks, but have you thought of it as a way to deepen your business relationships?
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
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