Build and maintainin the trust and understanding you need in order to create long-lasting and profitable business relationships
When you run a service-based business, the relationships you establish with your clients are key.
Without loyal customers who buy from you again and again, you wouldn’t have a business! Even better, loyal customers often refer others.
Any relationship that stands the test of time needs to be based on mutual trust and understanding. Business relationships are no different. That’s why in order to build and maintain long-lasting ties with your customers, you need to invest in the way you interact with them.
So, how do you best communicate with your clients? And what impact does client communication have on your business?
What do we mean by client communication?
Client communication is an umbrella term that includes any type of interaction you have with your clients – past, present (existing), or future (prospective). Communication can take many shapes and forms. It can be formal or informal, written or spoken, and can happen over a variety of platforms or mediums. All the emails, phone calls, or progress updates you share with existing clients are a fundamental part of how you strengthen your relationship with them.
The way you communicate overall – as a brand – matters even before you’ve converted your prospects into paying clients. The content you produce and put out into the world has the potential to show your audience that you’re knowledgeable and experienced – that they can trust you. So when thinking about effective communication, don’t forget your marketing!
How client communication improves your relationship with clients
Communication is what helps you build and maintain the trust and understanding you need in order to create long-lasting and profitable business relationships. Make client communication a priority, and your business will grow.
Effective and prompt client communication helps you build trust by showing your clients that you:
- Understand what they want and expect from working with you.
- Care about their problems and needs and are committed to providing effective solutions.
- Want your clients to feel valued, trusted, and satisfied.
Client communication best practices
Make it about your clients – not about you
There’s something to be said about your clients getting to know, like, and trust you before they commit to doing business with you. But that doesn’t mean they necessarily want to hear your life story. When a client is seeking out your services, remember that they have a specific need or problem. And they need you to solve it. So whenever interacting with your clients (prospective or existing) focus on how you can help them. It’s a great way to demonstrate your extensive knowledge and experience without blowing your own trumpet.
Respect your clients’ time
Your time is precious. But so is your clients’. So whenever you communicate with them, be clear and concise. Without being rude or blunt, go straight to the point. – before launching into lengthy and potentially unnecessary explanations, ask your clients what they need. If they require more information, they will tell you. Be respectful and give them options, so they can choose the most effective way for you to deliver any content to them. While a long email might not be the right answer, a short and well-planned consultation probably will.
Treat them how you’d like to be treated
Remember that your business exists because of your clients. So when interacting with them, strive to be positive, friendly, polite, and approachable. Even on those days when doing that feels like the hardest thing to do! Your business benefits from the professional relationships you build and maintain with your clients. So don’t forget to treat your customers in the nicest way possible.
Listen to your clients
Even on the busiest and most manic days, give your clients your full attention when interacting with them. This isn’t the time for multi-tasking! Don’t interrupt, take notes if appropriate, and try to ask relevant open questions to elicit more information from your client where required.
Equally, don’t feel the need to fill every silence. If you think your customer may want to add more to the conversation, give them the space to do so. By actively listening, you will be in a stronger position to provide better customer service.
Pay attention to the details
Relationships thrive when all parties involved feel trusted, listened to, and treated with the due respect and dedication. So how can you show your clients that you care? By paying attention. Be mindful of what your customers are saying, of what they are not saying, and take note of any information they may share with you – pay attention by showing your clients that you value them
Be consistent
In order to review the way you communicate with your customers, take a step back. Think about your brand – your vision, your mission, and your values.
- What do you want your clients to take away from any interactions with your company?
- What characteristics do you want them to associate with your brand?
Actively build your client communication skills
If you want to improve the way you communicate with your clients, make communication and relationship-building an integral part of what you do. In order to create and maintain long-lasting professional relationships with your customers, actively invest in improving your company’s communication skills.
Here are some things you can do:
- Frequently review the content and quality of your client communications.
- Create clear guidelines and principles that your team can adhere to. This could be in the shape of a client communication plan or a client communication strategy that everyone in your business can follow.
- Ask your clients for feedback and take their views on board to improve on what you do.
- Invest in external training and professional development opportunities.
- Use client communication tools and software.
Improve client communication with Ventures Avenue.
We can help you improve client communication by making the process of gathering information from clients fast and painless. Our Specialists streamlines the content creation process so you can move your projects forward with ease. At the same time provides an easier solution for your clients to share information and content with you, which in turn allows you to build better relationships with your clients.
Contact us now for free consultation at [email protected]
For more information visit our website at www.venturesavenue.com