A rewarding part of many businesses is forming life-long relationships with clients. Here are eight ways you can foster quality business relationships that last.
The best way to ensure life-long love from your clients is by providing the best quality care and service. Commit to giving them the best treatment that consistently exceeds their needs and expectations.
Create a culture of excellence in your business that your customers can rely upon from the first interaction.
Encourage everyone in your organisation to participate in regular professional and personal development. There are many training resources to access as in-house or off-site experiences. Allowing your team a few hours of training each year can be rewarding for the business as well as the person.
Remember: your staff will make the biggest overall impact on whether your clients feel valued in your practice. Train staff in customer service basics such as communication, conflict resolution, time management, telephone and reception manners, and general professionalism. Conduct regular team-building sessions that involve building up and increasing a variety of skills. Remember to schedule activities just for fun, such as a night out bowling or a celebration lunch.
To keep your offering fresh and engaging for long-term clients, seek out partnerships with like-minded organisations. Promote new services or special offers to your clients regularly. Trialling a new service is a good way to test if your community wants you to add it as a permanent offering.
Research third-party apps and loyalty card programs that keep your business front of mind with your customers. Effective loyalty ideas include:
The key is to keep the program simple and manageable. It needs to add value to your customers and encourage repeat business.
If your clients have had good experiences using your services and products, they will welcome the opportunity to give you good feedback. Here are some good ways to go about it:
Just as asking for feedback is important, so is asking satisfied clients for referrals. Most likely, if they are happy with your service, they are referring people to you anyway. Let them know you appreciate the business by sending them a simple thank you card, gift card or complimentary service or product.
Even the happiest client needs to be reminded that your organisation exists. Depending on the product or service your business offers, customers may not purchase from you regularly. Therefore, you need to keep in touch so that when they do need you again, they will not hesitate to book an appointment, jump online or visit your store.
Effective ways to communicate are with an email newsletter, on social media, mailing a monthly special and by SMS.
A great way to show your clients you remember and care about them is to keep track of their birthday and anniversary date with your company. Send them an email to celebrate these events with a special offer.
If you have a company milestone coming up, let your clients know about that as well.
A business manager or leader who can foster life-long relationships with clients is highly valued in any organisation. These relationship skills will be gained with experience. However, the fastest way to secure the confidence in management is with a qualification like the Diploma of Leadership and Management (BSB50420) or Diploma of Business (Operations) (BSB50120). Take action with the second strategy listed above; always be upskilling. Start on developing your personal and professional skills today.
Do you want to learn more about leadership and management skills you need to be a good leader, emerging job roles and salaries, and recent industry insights?
Discover your career in leadership and management.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT CAREER PAGE
