Looking for a non-gimmicky New Year’s resolution that will actually help your business? Look no further than client communication. Here are three quick tips to improve your client communication in 2019—and reap the rewards.
- Customize your communication methods
Think of your clients’ various strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Do they take an old-school approach to business and communication? Opt for phone calls and letters. Do they enjoy the latest and greatest in technology? Use email for day-to-day communications and videoconferences as a great alternative to in-person meetings. Be flexible to your clients’ comforts zones, and they’ll see you as an amenable partner and an extension of their own team.
- Be consistent
Consistent is the key word here. Don’t start with a strong communication game in January, only to have your client hearing crickets by March. Set weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly reminders (whatever cadence is right for the specific client) to check-in with your client. If you have a sales team, make sure they follow your lead.
The same idea goes for social media: keep it consistent. Post information, updates, and deals regularly and always respond to inquiries and comments. When you’re on top of communication, clients feel that you’re working hard to better your product and service lines, and ultimately, improve their experience.
- Make it personal
Dale Carnegie, the famous author of How to Win Friends and Influence People said “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Dale was right—personalize all your communications so that your client feels as though he or she is your only client.
Send a personal email with a link to an article they’d find uniquely interesting. Drop an end-of-year handwritten note in the mail thanking them for their business. Before you send any communication, think to yourself, how can I make this more personal? You’d be surprised at how easy—and effective—it can be.
Make 2019 the year of communication for your business. With a little thoughtfulness and time, you’ll realize improved customer loyalty and better professional relationships.