Client Retention Strategies: Clients You Should Focus On
Client Retention Strategies: When's the last time you stumbled upon a sign that made you pause and ponder about a deeper meaning?
Maybe the sign was meant to be funny, or maybe it was meant to help you find your way somewhere, and yet it made you think about how else the message applied to other areas of your life.
The sign hanging in my dentist's office, “You don't have to brush all your teeth, only the ones you want to keep,” caught my attention the other day.
It reminded me of a meeting I found myself in where one person in the group was explaining how she would appreciate it if the other members of the group would not take it personally when they received an abrupt email response from her. She went on to explain how busy she was and how to respond in a timely fashion she wanted to be able to give one-word responses and that the rest of the group should “just know she meant well but didn't have time for anything more.”
Client Retention Strategies Continued…
A few members of the group confirmed that her email responses did come across as rather abrupt and had been a little off-putting. In that moment I debated keeping my opinion to myself and ultimately decided to speak up and offer her another possible alternative to her request.
I shared how years ago in my NLP training, we learned an important presupposition, “The meaning of your communication is based on the response you get.” And how even though she may be busy it might be worth her time to make the relationship with the other person a priority. Instead of giving a one-word response email and expecting everyone else to make an exception for common etiquette, she might want to put in more effort. Even stating something as simple as, “In an effort to respond in a timely manner, here's a quick response to your request: Yes.”
By adding the first part of the sentence, she might positively increase the overall response someone has to her message.
In a world where we are all busy and struggling to get everything done, it's easy to let common courtesy, manners, and social etiquette take a back seat to the task at hand.
And yet, without strong relationships what are the chances, you'll be successful long term in your business?
Think about who you want to work with or refer friends and family to. Don't you prefer to work with someone who cares about the relationship and makes it a priority? Now, of course, the person has to be good at what they do. However, let's be honest, there is always a competitor out there that is good at what you do. Set yourself apart by being good at what YOU do and taking care of the relationship. You're much more likely to keep your clients long-term with this approach.
Your Savvy Sales Tip this week is about client retention strategies:
You don't have to take care of all your clients, only the ones you want to keep. You could easily replace the word clients with relationships in the previous sentence, it's even more important long term.
In the moments where I feel rushed for time, it's also the best reminder to slow down and write a more thoughtful email response to ensure the relationship stays in good standing.
Wishing you continued success this week.
Agree? Disagree? Have additional comments or thoughts on this article? Please share.
Or, for more information on client retention strategies, tune in to the Client Retention – How To Do It episode on the podcast!
Nikki wants to invite you to join the Sales Maven Society, don't miss this opportunity for you and Nikki to work together. Bring your questions, concerns, sales challenges, and she provides answers and guidance to boost your confidence. Join the Sales Maven Society here, click add to cart, and then checkout and use coupon code: 47trial to get your first month for $47.00!
Find Nikki:
Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram
To download free Resources from Nikki: www.yoursalesmaven.com/maven
