Today's corporate and business industry has seen a change like never before. Business and professional dealings have become more relationship-based than just product or price-based. Whatever you are out there to sell, whether holidays or education, the demand and the budget are already there.
To build a strong and loyal client base, you need to do more than sell; you need to build a relationship with them. Once that is done, your market share and performance to deliver results will rise considerably. Product and price being a constant, we prefer to deal with people who we get along with. Here are some simple yet powerful tips to build strong relationships with clients and make them loyal to your brand.
FIND OUT WHAT YOUR CLIENT LIKES
In most of my meetings, I often ask: "What do you like?' What are your hobbies? What makes you happy?" One client told me the colour purple made her happy. I once sent her a custom-made purple diary with a note, "I saw a purple diary and thought of you". Another client said he had a hobby of collecting pencils from hotels. Over three months, I collected pencils from all the hotel rooms that I stayed in, and sent him a shoebox full of pencils. My clients were so delighted. This was not just another gift, it was a gesture of friendship, of letting them know subtly that you care about them and what is important to them. I have such a strong relationship with them that they are the biggest promoters of my work.
GO WITH THE POSITIVES
Before you meet a client always do some research about them. LinkedIn, Facebook and Google will you give you information that will help you establish the relationship that will help your career soar to new heights. I hunted a client down on Facebook and his status spoke about his passion for directing plays for children.
I brought that up in my meeting and complimented him for following his passion. We spoke for a solid two hours about ideas on theatre-based education and at every idea, I encouraged him and complimented him for his energy and zest for creativity. My client is not only a super performer at work but he is also now the creative director at a theatre academy where he works over weekends. Business with him is oneSMS away and no matter how busy his schedule is, he always accommodates my proposals.
KEEP YOUR PROMISE
In today's fast and furious business environment, promises are made only to be broken. When you break your word to a client, it is the beginning of the end of your relationship. If trust is the foundation, then build it consciously. Make a promise and keep it. In every meeting that I attend, I always make a promise, whether personal or professional, and I keep it. In keeping my promise, I am letting the client know he can trust me. Even if the promise is, "I will send you a copy of my book," or "I will email you the proposal in two hours," I make sure the copy of my book leaves by courier the same day and the proposal reaches him in two hours.
Everyone is out there selling a product and negotiating a price. That is hard work. Be different. Go out there and sell your credibility, your trust and your guarantee to a fulfilling relationship, and you will have clients that will grow to be your dearest friends and your greatest promoters.
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