You must follow through if you want to retain your clients. When you are selling a high-ticket item or service, you need to make darn sure that your client is happy they hired you. The last thing you want is for your clients to have buyer’s remorse. An easy way to do this is by just following through. If you say you are going to do something, do it. It’s that simple to follow through for your clients.
When it comes to your deliverables, always err on the side of caution in case something goes wrong. This means you need to under promise and over deliver. A great way to do this is with deadlines. Give yourself a healthy factor of safety so that you always end up delivering well before the deadline. Your customers will be thrilled with your promptness of service.
Follow Through For Your Clients with an Onboarding Process
A great way to get started on the right foot with a client is through an onboarding process. In that onboarding process, make sure you deliver a clear explanation of the services that will be provided, any information the customer needs, and an agreement.
Whatever you do, don’t bind up your client in that agreement. Don’t have a non-compete, and don’t force them to stay in business with you if they don’t want to. Be proud of your agreement. Make sure there are no “gotcha’s” in there. You want your client’s trust and relationship to keep them in business with you, not your agreement.
Build a Relationship With Your Clients
I learned this the hard way when I parted ways with a business partner in 2011. He comes in a 5:30 in the afternoon and submits his resignation letter. We had tons of non-competes, and other legal agreements in place to stop this from happening, but he still managed to walk out the door with 9 of my clients.
How? I hadn’t taken the time to build relationships with my clients. They had relationships with him, not with me. Short of taking each of those clients to court, there was no way for me to retain their business. You can take a client to court, but you are going to pay no less than $5,000.
That was one of the most expensive mistakes I have ever made, and I have never made it again. It’s not your contract that keeps your clients. It’s your relationship that keeps your clients.
Today, at the end of the month, I sit down and look at my client list. I honestly ask myself, “if I was each of these clients, would I pay myself for another month of service?” If I say yes, I ask myself why. If I say no, I find out how I can fix it. If you wouldn’t pay yourself for your services, why would anyone else?
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