Excellent client service is not something you only deliver when the client is in front of you. It is something you must do all the time—even with clients who have not purchased your products or services in a while. In fact, those are the very clients to whom you need to deliver extraordinary client service!
Nurturing the client over the long term is the key to success. The 3 C’s of excellent client service come easily for most women. Connecting, creating rapport and communicating are generally female strengths. Use your strengths in your business to create clients for life.
Connect
Make sure you do something every week that connects you to your current and past clients. Post blog updates, send emails, update social networking sites and make sure your clients are following you! Always invite them to join your online networks.
Create Rapport
Once you have a client, you have to get to know them and build trust. Note their birthdays, anniversaries, kids’ names and send snail mail cards. So few people send notes anymore, they will remember this simple, gracious gesture! Another way to think about client service is consider it client care. When your clients know you care they will stay your clients.
Communicate Your Needs
After you have established a strong rapport with your clients, you can make requests of them for business or contacts. If you ask clients for referrals too soon, you will probably see hesitation on their part and sometimes even resentment.
Look now at your current clients. Do you have a strong rapport with them? Do you stay in regular contact so they remember you? If you have, then it is time to ask for a referral. If not, start now to reinforce the three Cs of client service and watch your business grow.