Why It’s Good to be Loved
While everyone today is raging about Facebook ads and lead funnels and click-through rates and this and that, the reality is that for most business owners, referrals are the #1 way we get new business.
And when our clients love us – and I mean REALLY love us – that’s when they tell all their friends about us and send more wonderful clients in our direction.
Making our clients happy is truly a win-win-win. They feel good, we feel good, and the future clients they’ll refer to us will feel good too! I hope the following six quick tips will give you some good ideas for upping your game and rocking your clients’ world.
Give every email that special touch.
Whether it’s just a quick “confirming receipt” email or sending a Zoom link – your opening, closing, and overall tone matter a great deal, on ALL of your emails. Address your clients by name (preceded by Hello, Hi, Dear, etc.), write in complete sentences, and close with a similarly warm salutation such as Sincerely, Warmly, All my best, etc. It’s amazing how taking a few extra moments to compose emails this way can affect a person’s perception of you. Total brevity reflects a person who is rushed and short on patience, while warmth and completeness reflect a person who cares and is there to help.
Explain things so they can understand.
The number one complaint I hear from my clients about “other” web designers is being talked to in mumbo jumbo they can’t understand – and I’m certain this phenomenon is not unique to the world of web design. It’s all too easy for us business owners to use words or phrases that are total Greek to our clients without even realizing it because it’s our normal day-to-day. Take the time to speak to your clients in a way they can fully understand, and they will thank you a million times over.
Surprise them with the unexpected.
I’m not saying you need to go leaps and bounds outside the arrangements of your agreements with your clients (boundaries are important too). However, a few unexpected surprises here and there will delight your clients plain and simple. As you’re completing your work for your clients, if small ways in which you can go just a smidgen beyond what’s expected – seize the opportunity! For more, check out my list of Five Creative Client Gifts for the holidays (or any time of the year).
Take an interest in their life.
Never forget that business is personal. It just is. Particularly for a lot of us who are entrepreneurs working 1-on-1 with our clients, developing a warm rapport as we work with our clients will make everyone happy and often allow us to do even better work for them in the long run. Where are they from? Do they have kids? What are their hobbies? Whenever you connect on phone or Zoom, it’s 100% OK to take two or three minutes to catch up on life a bit before diving into official business.
Remember the details (Document document document!)
I don’t think remembering the details is so much about remembering exactly (I don’t have a great memory myself) as much as it’s about documenting. During every phone call, take notes. During every Zoom, take notes. During every coffee shop meeting, take notes! You can fool your clients into thinking you have a crazy wicked memory when really you’re just good at documenting the things they say and referencing your notes later on.
Always ask the golden question.
Varying entrepreneurs might have different golden questions, but here’s mine: Is there anything else I can help with at this time? I try to make a point of always asking this question when having an exchange with a client, whether in person, on Zoom, or in an email. When we develop the habit of routinely checking in about our clients’ needs, it allows them to feel completely and totally taken care of – which is basically the #1 best way to make your clients love you. This is, after all, what everyone in this world wants more than anything, wouldn’t you agree? 🙂
Looking for more?
If you enjoyed this post on how to make your clients love you, you might enjoy these other quick reads from Janelle (that’s me!) at Ellanyze on relationships:
How to Have Better Conversations
