CLIENT(Customer) RELATIONSHIP:
The ways in which your company communicates and deals with existing customers. The late American businessman and founder of Walmart, Sam Walton, once said:
“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”
There are many best ways to acquire maximum Good clients. Some of ways in the industry that are taken care to reach the maximum clients are: –
1. Provide Quality: If you’re good at what you do, your clients will keep coming back for more, and will often be willing and eager to recommend you to others. To be good at what you do, you need to have the right people, processes and technologies in place, with the expertise in your industry. You don’t settle for second best – or just good enough – and neither should your clients.
2. Demonstrate Integrity by Keeping Commitments: If you’re trusted and do what you say you will do, every time, you’ll be top-of-mind when other managers within your client’s myriad departments are looking for similar services – or related services your client might be looking to outsource.If something goes wrong and you are responsible for it, apologize for the mistake, learn, share ways you will fix it so it never repeats, and move on. If you do not keep commitments, even seemingly small ones, you lack integrity and will never develop trust.
3. Communicate: The more communications there are between you and your client, and the most honest and forthright the relationship, the easier it will be to keep your client satisfied and any issues resolved. Be proactive.
4. Keep Focused, But Adaptable: If your company’s overall services have proven successful, you’ll obviously want to stick with what has gotten you this far. Most importantly, doing so requires an organizational culture, which must be nurtured at the top, of a desire to learn, an intrinsic quest to improve, and sufficient humility to change.
5. Become Partners: Becoming a long-time partner likely requires you know your clients’ business almost as well as you know your own. You know their industry, their weak points, and how they work to provide their own clients with solutions to their issues.
6. Some of the practices those are must for client relationships are: (1) centralized processes, (2) highly specialized teams, (3) quality control, (4) terminology management and (5) full implementation of advanced technologies.
7. Be patient in building new relationships: Relationships take time. Resist indulging in disingenuous schmoozing, as it can be a severe put-off. Instead, take the time to get to know your client, and share a little bit of yourself.
8. Get to know their industry and company: Keep up with your client’s company as well as their industry. You don’t have to be an expert, but this will help you speak the same language as the client, understand what keeps them up at night, and cater your interaction and offerings accordingly.
9. Go the extra mile: As you grow your business and your client relationships, there will be times that you’ll have to make a decision on when to adjust or expand your core offerings to cater to the needs of a client.
10. Treat every client as your most important one: Simply put, happy clients are more likely to make referrals. Provide all clients with your best service, regardless of whether they are a Fortune 500 company or a small business.
11. Respond promptly: When a client emails you, acknowledge the receipt of the email as quickly as possible, even if you do not have the answer they are looking for. You will give them comfort by simply acknowledging the receipt of their request and by communicating that you’re on it. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I often see relationship managers worry about having the right answer, and as a result, they forget to acknowledge that they are on the case.
CUSTOMER (Client) RETENTION:
Customer retention is the activity that a selling organization undertakes in order to reduce customer defections. Successful customer retention starts with the first contact an organization has with a customer and continues throughout the entire lifetime of a relationship.
A big question comes every time …. How to Improve Customer Retention?
For retaining the Clients many industries opt different methods. Some of the best methods for client’s retention are:
Set customer expectations – Set customer expectations early and a little lower than you can provide to eliminate uncertainty about the level of your service and ensure you always deliver on your promises.
Become the customers’ trusted advisor – You need to be the expert in your particular field, so that you can gain customers’ trust and build customer loyalty.
Use relationships to build trust – Build relationships with customers in a way that fosters trust. Do this through shared values and fostering customer relationships.
Take a proactive approach to customer service – Implement anticipatory service so that you can eliminate problems before they occur.
Use social media to build relationships – Use LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to connect and communicate with customers and give them a space for sharing experiences with your company, so they can become brand ambassadors.
Go the extra mile – Going above and beyond will build strong relationships with customers and build long-term loyalty by paying attention to their needs and issues.
Make it personal – Personalized service improves customer experience and is something customers are expecting and demanding. Make their experience personal to strengthen the bond with your brand.