I love this time of year in Arizona! It finally cools down, people come out of hibernation, and the holidays are upon us. So, HAPPY OCTOBER!
Client retention is one of the most important ways to maintain cash-flow and stay in business. It costs much more money and takes a lot more time (aka more money) to get new clients. So, we must ensure our current customers are not only happy but, fulfilled and thrilled! It’s a dog-eat-dog business atmosphere out there due to the accessibility of information so we must be outstanding.
One way I do that is by calling all of my clients 2x a year to check up on them. REALLY call them. Here are the questions I asked my clients this past week and what the goal was:
How are you?
Listen to understand and take notes
How is business going?
Listen for pain points and address them with a solution or even an external referral
How are you liking “Holly”? (Holly is one of my bookkeeping specialists so this question will be different for everyone – IE: How do you feel about the service you are receiving? May be a better fit for you)
Listen for what isn’t being said as well as to exactly what they’re saying. Try to encourage them to elaborate so you can really make a difference if needed, in your processes
Is there anything we can do to assist you further or to do a better job?
This answer can be huge for your business whether its strengthening what is already great, improving processes, or giving you ideas for growth
We will be launching a quarterly Business Workshop series that will be based on understanding your financials and giving you business tips etc. If this is something you’re interested in, I will send you info…
Find a way to offer value without charging them. The response to this statement was HUGELY appreciated and obviously if I had doubts about doing it, it solidified the NEED to follow through
I can’t tell you enough how powerful this is. This past week specifically, I was able to determine pain points, communicate areas of improvement with my team and determine exactly how to provide more value to my clients. I was even able to save a relationship with a client who was thinking of bringing the service in house. A few hours a year is VERY worthwhile when you can get answers straight from the horse’s mouth.