3 Ways to Make Certain Your Clients Love You Tomorrow

April 25, 2011 at 7:14 am | Posted in Customer Service, sales, Sales Training | 14 Comments

Listen up. You don’t want to be a one-project stand. You have to take certain steps to make sure that your clients will love you tomorrow. Really. You can’t take this for granted so pay attention and put these to work now:

Go over and beyond what they expect.
Meeting client expectations is really a big so-what. Maybe that was good enough once upon a time and maybe it is still good enough if you have absolutely no competition (and who occupies that rarified space) but for the rest of us, exceeding client expectations is the best way to ensure that you will retain your client’s business for the long haul.

Don’t nickel and dime them to death.
I don’t know about you but I loathe getting invoices that have all sorts of add-ons tacked on almost as an afterthought. You know what; it’s better to take the high road and perhaps absorb some of those fees, or perhaps add them into the base price or hourly rate, rather than risk leaving a very nasty impression.

Be proactive.
We keep hearing that clients are no longer loyal, that they’ll change “vendors” to save miniscule amounts of money. The solution? Don’t be a vendor! Vendors can be easily disposed of but business resources, well, not so easily. And what make a business resource valuable? Well, being proactive, being ahead of the situation, the challenge, the problem and being ready with a solution or options. Yep. Business resources are not so disposable.

So there you have it. Simple ways for you to avoid being part of a bad break-up. Will you still love me tomorrow?

14 Comments »

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  1. AM does get all of that straightforward, important, simple, effective, profitable, stuff right. We all so need to be encouraged and reminded. Blatantly.

  2. Hear hear about the idea of not being a vendor. There’s a difference between being a service provider vs. being a preferred partner. Strive to make that transition by asking questions and learning as much as possible about the client’s business.

  3. Adrian:

    Nicely coined phrase, “one-project stand.”

    So many people talk alot about “underpromising and overdelivering,” but it’s all too often more talk than action, which is strikingly ironic.

    We often lack perspective about ourselves, which is why it’s so useful to have a coach or trainer.

    Best,

    David

  4. Most companies talk about the fact that they deliver the best customer service of any among their competitors. They rely on that as a single point and reason for being selected as the vendor of choice. As you so elegantly and succinctly point out, exception customer service should be the standard for all companies that want to be in business not just the exception. In addition customer service is an elusive term that has yet to be defined by the standards of good, great, or exceptional. Most people I meet that swear by their customer service quite honestly do what they should do daily or why be in business?

  5. Hi Adrian,
    Your first two words say it all. “Listen up”. People don’t listen because they don’t stop talking. Few people listen. If you are one of the few who do you will see a big change in your relationship with the other person. As we all know people want to work with people they like(or love to use your word). Thanks for these reminders.
    Be well,
    Irene

  6. Adrian
    Three simple thoughts that made me reflect on how I feel as a client. I always feel great when my expectations are exceeded, and want to scream when an provider charging high fees has $0.44 postage on the bill! Treating our clients they way we want to be dealt with by our own business partners – not a bad gift from you today.

    Lewis

  7. I resonate with your suggestion not to be a “vendor”. How you set yourself apart with special attention-service-adaptation to the client’s needs will keep you actively involved in their success and create a win-win long term relationship.

  8. Adrian is like a “doctor of business.” Doctors are there to remind us of what we may already know, but tend to forget or put on the back burner. So, thank you, Dr. Miller – I’ll take two of your tips and call you in the morning!

  9. Great Information Adrian. We all know it is easier to get a new project from an existing, “SATISFIED” customer than to find a new client. It is important to exceed your client’s expectations every time.

  10. One of the biggest points you made really stood out…”Don’t be just a vendor”…I try extremely hard to be a consultant and not a vendor to my clients. I feel it’s very important to make clients feel special and to show that you do take an interest in them succeeding…vendors don’t do that..they just take orders and process them. I never want to be a vendor to my clients…entire article is great but this one point was very strong and connected to my way of doing business. Great advice as always Adrian!

  11. I totally agree wit these principles… especially the don’t nickel and dime part. I always take the high road. If I haven’t contracted for the amount in advance, then it’s mine to swallow.

    Thank you, as usual, for a stimulating post.

  12. Great tips, Adrian.

  13. Well said Adrian. Regarding your first point, I wonder how many companies accurately uncover the clients expectations in the beginning?

  14. Thanks Adrian. At Eddy & Schein we put an emphasis on “team building” – creating a support network for our clients. Our goal is to provide the resources that will make our clients’ lives easier, or help them work better with the resources they already have in place.


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