5 Powerful Ideas for Startups to Build Great Client Relationships
The founder and CEO of Denisoff Consulting Group, Michael Denisoff, says, “without strong relationships, it is impossible to have success as a business owner.”
Quite often, business owners are so immersed in the details of their product or service that they literally forget the importance of forming a great relationship with their customers, employees, vendors, and even competitors.
To build everlasting client relationships, startups should go with the following ideas and strategies:
Treat every client as the most important one
Happy clients serve as the best referral, so regardless of the magnitude or size of the company, treat it as if they are your most important client. With the boom in the startup culture, a small company of today can become a multi-million dollar entity in the future. You must make sure that their growth brings favorable results to your company as well.
Go the extra mile
Yes, there will be times when you need to make a decision whether you should extend your offerings to meet the distinct needs of the clients or not. The answer to this question is always in the affirmative, because one favor can make you get a lifetime of returns in the form of additional revenue streams and new clients. However, do make sure that you are justly compensated for all your services.
Do not haste in building new relationships
After getting a new client, do not indulge in excessive socializing with them because that will appear to be annoying and will put him off. No matter how strong your personal relationships are, they can never substitute great work. So, if you truly want to impress your clients, you need to present them the quality of your work because that is the only way to win them over. Unnecessary chattering and flattering will only do bad instead of any good to your relationship.
Remember that your clients are actual people, not numbers
You should be able to remember the name of the client along with a few details pertaining to his business too. This shows your concern towards them and your dedication to provide the best services. Remembering minute details will also help you in recalling how your business is beneficial to a particular client and will also play an integral role in strengthening relationships.
Never stop improving yourself
There is always some room for improvement and if you are not making yourself better with passing time, you are actually taking your company towards the road of decline. You need to reinvent yourself and adapt to the new demands of the market. If you want to build strong relationships with your clients, you must improve yourself to meet their ever-changing needs.
The only way to differentiate yourself from your competitors is to give a great working experience to the clients. According to Marketing Metrics, the probability to sell to an existing client is 60% – 70%, whereas it is 5% – 20% for a new prospect. Thus, value your client relationships to safeguard your interests and that of your company.