Customer retention and referrals are the best ways to build a good customer list. While working with new and long-term clients, the mission of each consulting professional is to provide the highest quality service, exceed client expectations, and create the conditions for a long-lasting relationship and receiving referrals. Recently one of my clients did exactly that and referred me to his close friend and colleague. I was excited!
Take the first step on the road to customer retention by meeting, if not exceeding, your customer’s expectations, as outlined. Nurture the relationship by considering how it might serve the client’s business interests, whether or not you are currently working on a project with him / her. For example, if you find an article that you hope is relevant to your customer, submit the link. Share the details of a conference or workshop that may be of interest to you, to show that you think about your priorities, whether or not you are on “active duty.” Of course, the best tactic for building relationships is to refer a customer to your customer. You will be golden!
If your client refers you to someone, be sure to call or better yet, stop by the office to express your gratitude in person. An especially important task could be worth a lunch or dinner, congratulations from you.
But the road to customer retention and referrals begins with the exceptional work you do during the assignment. Here are some things to keep in mind:
To be prepared
If you know that you will be asked to tackle an urgent problem that needs to be resolved quickly, do your homework and come to work packed with practical ideas and a few well-chosen questions. Prove yourself to be a helpful troubleshooter and solution provider.
Listen to the customer
Hear and learn how customer feedback matters from your perspective, whether it is how to implement the solution for the project you are working on, how to solve a customer service issue, or any other work issue. Show that you understand and respect the customer’s opinions and values.
Respect the customer’s ideas and suggestions.
You may not have all the answers. The experience lived by the client is important. Be open to incorporating the customer’s ideas into your proposed solution. Always agree with the client and validate their choices. Subtly tailor your suggested strategy into something that you know will be most effective, when needed. If the client mentions that another consultant has handled a similar project differently, listen and learn. You can receive useful information on how to improve your own business practices.
Communicate constantly
Misunderstandings cause relationships to deteriorate and misunderstandings occur when communication is not clear and insufficient. Meetings may be infrequent, but emails are a way of reporting your many successes toward achieving project goals and objectives.
Also, the email path will come in handy when it’s time to send an invoice and document your billable hours. What you don’t want is a customer wondering why you are billing a certain number of hours and hinting that you are filling in the bill. Also, if the client feels that some aspect of the project scope needs to be expanded or narrowed, adjustments can be made in a timely manner.
Get it in writing
Take meeting notes and, within 48 hours after the meeting, send an email to confirm what has been discussed and agreed. Include project specifications, fee structure, payment schedule, project milestones, deliverables, and due dates.
Customer retention is the foundation of any business. It takes less time and effort to retain a customer than to find and acquire a new one. Plus, long-term clients are much more likely to give you that definitive statement, a referral.
Thank you for reading,
Kim