How do you take “Price” out of the equation when working with a client? Let’s keep in mind that asking you to lower your price shows that they are interested in working with you. What else can you do?
A few days ago, we celebrated Valentine’s Day! It is a memorable holiday shared by couples to express their love for each other and a day shared with your family and kids. I can remember growing up and getting a little box of chocolates or candy hearts. You know the little box sweethearts with the words on them, “Say Yes,” or “Be Mine.”
Growing up, we were excited about the possibility of someone asking us, ” Will you be my Valentine.”
You could get into a bit of trouble in business if you asked your client to be your Valentine. I am not recommending that strategy. But, we want to ask the question perhaps a little differently, ” Will you be my client?’
To have the other person say yes to our question, we must do a few things.
You Relate to them. In the word Relationship sits Relate. So if you want to have long-lasting relationships, you have to continue to find a way to be relevant and relatable to them.
It sounds simple but not easy unless you invest your time finding out what is important to them.
We have to create client relationships, positive, long-term connections. Building client relationships should focus on clients’ needs. Some companies interact with their customers briefly during the business transaction, while others maintain close relationships with their clients for years.
Stop and think about a client you have been doing business with for an extended period. I guess that you’re doing something over and above what your competitors are offering.
How do you develop and maintain a relationship with your clients?
Get to know your client.
The first step in establishing any long-lasting relationship is to learn about your potential new partner. You cannot build good business ties unless you find out how your clients and their businesses operate. It’s essential to understand what they want from the relationship and need.
You need to know your client and their business model, practices, and short- and long-term goals. This way, you can approach them from a place of knowledge from the start. You are not interested in a surface relationship, so dig deep to understand the market your client is trying to compete in and do research to find out more about competitors and the industry. You are interested in helping them for a long time.
Educate your clients
I’m a big believer in educating prospects and customers. What kept us from working together with them. Even if they decide to work with someone else, we want to understand what it takes to achieve their results. Keep providing research content that can benefit them, and you will become a valuable partner to them.
Share knowledge with your client who may not know or understand the details involved in your company’s workflow. Explain clearly how communication between your company and the client works, describe how the product or service functions, and provide a clear timeline for the project with regular updates. Keeping your clients informed allows them to feel comfortable throughout the process.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Remember that getting to know your client should always be a give and take. You want to keep the lines of communication open between yourself and your clients. Always listen, ask thought proving questions, and ask for feedback.
Giving your honest advice about what may need improving in your client’s business will generally be seen as a sign of goodwill and will help build rapport and trust. Sometimes the advice you give will not be directly beneficial to you; however, it will help strengthen your client relationship in the long term.
How do you communicate?
Establish open, consistent lines of communication with your client. Offer them multiple ways to contact you, such as a cell phone number, office phone number, and email address.
Be available to speak with your clients should they need you to show you care about them. Ask them the best form of communication for them. Is it email, phone calls, or in-person? Is there a day or time that works best for their schedule? It will show you care more about their time than yours. Establish regular communication along the way and answer any questions.
Learn something from each meeting.
Learn their needs. When you first begin onboarding your client, take the time to learn about their business needs and operations. The better you understand how their company functions, the better positioned you’ll be to create the ideal sales, project, and recommendation for them. Keep in mind that things change, so when you meet, ask if anything has changed with your business needs?
Celebrate Their Wins
The magic happens when you get to know them as people and have a genuine interest in them as humans. Find a way to know them personally and celebrate their life wins. Know their kids’ names, pets’ names, hobbies, where they graduated from, favorite sports teams, and share milestones with them. Send birthday cards and customized gifts; it goes a long way.
Business relationships can be fun and meaningful throughout your career. Just make sure you always find a way to add more value and become more relatable as you build your relationship!
If you think someone could benefit from this, I invite you to share it.
Learn more about Simplifying Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .