Month: January 2017

It may sound a strange question! If they’re a customer already using your services, of course they know what you do – right?

Wrong! They may know what you do for them – but do they know you also do this, and this and this?

We should never assume that a client understands the entirety of our business. For example, they may have come to you to develop their website – but do they know you also write blog posts, create email marketing campaigns, manage social media accounts and do graphic design for brochures?

As we’re talking about the importance of client retention, it is definitely worthwhile considering how you are communicating your full range of services to existing customers. They may have employed you to undertake a short term project, but there may be a way of retaining them as an ongoing client with another of your services.

Again, it comes down to communication. You shouldn’t have to do the big, hard sell on existing clients – hopefully you’ll have won them over with the fabulous work you’ve already done. There will be a trust there, which makes it much easier to sell without selling. Try dropping into conversation that you’ve done X for another client that seems to be working really well for them. Ask them, ‘did you know we do that?’ It really is that simple!

Here are some other ways of getting the word out to existing clients about additional services:

Case studies and testimonials

Do you have any case studies or client testimonials on your website? If not, get some on there, pronto! Nothing speaks louder than showing off some top work you’ve done for a client and hearing how pleased they are with the results. Why not get a client on camera? Short video testimonials can be really powerful.

Spread the good news!

How are you spreading the word about the amazing projects you’ve completed, or the fantastic feedback you’re getting from clients? Don’t just let case studies and client testimonials sit static on your website. Share them! Facebook, Twitter and Linked In are great for getting word out, as are blogs and email newsletters.

Leaflets

Don’t rely purely on online – a well designed leaflet with your list of services can be just as effective. A cleaning company I worked with handed out leaflets to all of their commercial clients, telling them they also did window cleaning and removal of environmental waste.  Straight away they secured new business from existing clients, who hadn’t realised before that they offered these services!

It’s good to talk!

Make sure you have it on every meeting agenda to discuss how else you could help an existing client. Face-to-face meetings give you the perfect opportunity to talk about what else you do that might be of interest.

Now go forth and multiply your business the easy way. Just tell your existing clients what you do!

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For straight-talking advice specific to your business, book a FREE business review with Doug today!

There are many reasons we end up saying farewell to clients, some are completely beyond our control, others not so much. But have you ever considered the true value of that loss? It’s far more than the fee they were paying you!

Client retention, in my opinion, is something that should be managed and monitored as closely as the cash flow in your business – however, it very rarely is.

Losing clients for legitimate reasons is one thing, but often I find businesses are far too flippant about letting customers go. “Oh, they were only paying £100 per month,” “We’ve finished their job,” etcetera, etcetera.

If I ever hear this from a coaching client – I give them a little exercise to do. Don’t consider the income you’ve lost, consider the costs to you of replacing that business.

How much does it cost you to bring in a new client?
Think about what you spend on marketing and advertising; the time and money spent on networking; how many hours do you spend sitting in sales meetings and drawing up proposals and quotes? Try adding it up – I’m sure you’ll be surprised!

For argument’s sake, let’s say each new client costs you £1,000 in time and money before they sign on the dotted line. Would you rather keep earning £100 per month guaranteed income, or spend £1,000 just to stand still?

Client retention makes sense from an economic point of view – so it’s really important to keep track of how many clients you’re keeping and losing as well as monitoring the new business you’re winning. To successfully grow a business – yes, you need new customers, but you want to build your client list, not replenish it!

If you’re losing clients on a regular basis, it really is worth the time and effort considering what you can do to keep them. Here are a few of my suggestions:

1 – Get feedback

Do you know the real reason they’ve left?  It’s always worth a frank conversation asking for honest feedback of your service, and an explanation of why they’re leaving. You may just pick up some pointers that can prevent you losing another client. After all, how can you hope to improve if you don’t know where you’re going wrong? I like to ask, too, if there’s anything we could have done differently to make them stay.

2 – Communication is key

Client relationships often fail due to lack of communication, so make sure you’re in regular contact with all your existing clients. Ask them while they are still with you – what can we do better? It could make all the difference!

3 – Address their niggles

It’s not always big things that can strain a client relationship, it’s the little niggles – if they get ignored. By keeping in regular contact, you can find out about any issues before they become major problems. The important thing is to sort them out promptly, and show you take customer service seriously!

4 – Deal with complaints

If it does get to the stage where you’re faced with a customer complaint, you need to take 3 steps:

• Fix the problem (as quickly, thoroughly and professionally as possible)
• Investigate why the problem occurred in the first place
• Put measures in place to prevent it happening again.

We’re only human and things do go wrong, but you will be remembered for how you put things right! And always keep the customer apprised with what you are doing to correct the issue.

In conclusion – ensure your customer service and communication is top-notch, and you’ll reap the rewards in client retention and customer loyalty. And to go the extra mile – think about offering a customer loyalty scheme to sweeten the deal for staying with you. Keep in mind the value to you – saving you heaps in winning new business!