Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Evan Carmichael Top Header
Share for a Cause









Keeping in Touch The Surefire Client Retention Strategy

Written by: Robert Moment

Article Overview: Want to know the secret that all successful independent professionals and small business owners possess? The savvy ones know that the secret to long-term success lies in keeping in touch with their clients.

Free Download - 7 Ways to Raise Small Business Startup Financing By Robert Moment
Name: Email:

Keeping in Touch The Surefire Client Retention Strategy

© Copyright 2006


Want to know the secret that all successful independent professionals and small business owners possess? The savvy ones know that the secret to long-term success lies in keeping in touch with their clients.

How do you do it? Change your focus from “me” to “client.” A simple strategy, yes, but also a powerful one. As independent professionals and small business owners, we work hard to develop trust and build credibility with clients. But then we can lose them after the first sale by not keeping in touch. Keeping in touch doesn’t mean sending a holiday card in December and calling clients when your sales are down. Your clients need to know you’re always there. When you care about clients they care about you.

So keep in touch on a regular basis. Think of it as a Keep-in-Touch Strategy (KITS). The two most important elements of a successful KITS are value and visibility. The content must add value that is then customized and communicated to the client frequently. Visibility consists of taking every measure you can to stay in front of the client without pestering. If you don’t stay visible you become invisible.

Think of these four C’s when implementing your KITS:

 Competence. You provide relevant knowledge and expertise to clients. You actively demonstrate value.
 Concern. You are genuine and sensitive to the feelings, thoughts and experiences of clients. You don’t take them for granted.
 Consistency. Because actions speak louder than words, you do what you say you will do for them. Follow up, follow up, follow up.
 Commitment. You under-promise and over-deliver. Be accountable and accessible to clients. Think client focus first.

The Keep in Touch Strategy is low-key and subtle. It is soft-sell approach to marketing your small business. The secret to KITS over the long term is to use a variety of methods that are frequent, varied and customized.

Forward useful information. Clients expect you to know what’s important to them. Send links to websites they may find useful. Forward articles, newsletters and speaker handouts (assuming you have obtained permission, of course), or invite clients to seminars and trade shows . When clients know you’re on their side and you’re looking out for their best interest, you are building a long term relationship with them.
Stay informed. Stay knowledgeable about your clients’ industries by reading their trade publications and visiting their website frequently. Let them know you are a benignly interested observer of their business challenges and successes.

Consider the individual. People skills create relationships, and people do business with individual and businesses they know and trust. Build relationships with clients as individuals. Gather personal information they are willing to share, such as their birthday, the names of their children and spouses, their hobbies, the college or colleges they attended and how they still stay involved with them (such as following their football team or leading an alumni fundraising drive).

Pick up the phone. A friendly phone call periodically goes a long way in cementing a long-term relationship. These periodic calls can reveal client challenges that for you are potential sales opportunities. The more you keep in touch the more you learn and understand a client’s business and challenges. When your clients go through difficult times offer support, because out of difficulties grow new opportunities to serve. And when their businesses eventually turn around, these clients will remember who was there for them and who wasn’t.

Visit in person. Decide how frequently you should check in with your clients. As an example, you could schedule quarterly visits with them. These in-person visits – perhaps over a business lunch, with you picking up the tab – can anticipate and intercept problems. Use this time to learn more about the workings of your client’s business and suggest tactics and strategies to resolve problems even before the clients foresee them.

Remember the thank you note. An often overlooked but powerful Keep-in-Touch Strategy is the thank you note. Writing them is something that everyone knows they should do, yet very few actually do. A timely thank you note stands out: It differentiates you. It is proper business etiquette after any important meeting. Showing gratitude will give you a competitive advantage in relationship building with your clients.

Being in touch with long-term, satisfied clients leads not only to repeat business but referrals as well. Referrals are an independent professional’s and small business owner’s best source of qualified leads. A referral gives you instant credibility with the prospect – and it beats the heck out of making cold calls.


It is fine to use the word customer but always think of customers as clients. Never play hide-and-seek with your clients by disappearing after the first sale. You worked hard to earn your client’s business. Now work just as hard to keep and maintain it by keeping in touch.

Harness the power that comes from changing your focus from “me” to “client.” Embracing this powerful yet simple Keep-in-Touch Strategy will almost single-handedly transform your business. That is why you must make it a business priority. Your long-term client and business success may well depend on it.

Related Articles
  Eight Powerful Strategies To Retain Clients, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  A Strategic Look At Client Retention From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  How to Keep Your Clients
  Strategic Thinking To Develop A Successful Employee Retention Strategy According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  When Customers Understand the True Meaning of CRM

Home > Business-Coach > Robert Moment > Keeping in Touch The Surefire Client Retention Strategy
Article Tags:

About the Author: Robert Moment
RSS for Robert's articles - Visit Robert's website

Robert Moment is a sought-after innovative small business and marketing coach and the author of Invisible Profits: The Power of Exceptional Customer Service and It Only Takes a Moment to Score. Here’s what Millionaire business mastermind, bestselling author , speaker and consultant Brian Tracy(www.briantracy.com) said about Robert’s book , It Only Takes a Moment to Score , “Your ability to quickly build trust and rapport with customers is the key to your success , and the SCORE (Sincerity, Commitment, Openness , Reliability, Execution) System shows you how to do it quickly”. Robert Moment was one of the leading small business experts chosen to write a chapter in the bestselling book , Streetwise Small Business Book of List by author Gene Marks. Robert has interviewed on Entrepreneur Magazine Radio a number of times and other radio shows . As a small business and marketing coach, speaker and author, Mr. Moment’s greatest actual talent is seeing hidden possibilities overlooked assets and underperforming activities and resources – which no one else recognizes.

Click here to visit Robert's website
Dashed Line

More from Robert Moment
How to Sell Your Small Business
Writing Business Proposals Dont Fall into the Trap
The Power of Article Marketing
The Top Ten Small Business Startup Success Secrets
Six Keys to Creating Wow Customer Service Experiences


Related Forum Posts
Book: Secrets of Six Figure Women Book: Secrets of Six Figure Women - Secrets of Six Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to up your earning and change your life Barbara Stanny, 2002 Jacket: Maybe you've noticed - a subtle trend is gathering steam. Quietly and steadily, the number of women making six figures or more is increasing, and it continues to rise at a rate faster than for men. From entrepreneurs to corporate executives, from white collar executives to free lancers and part timers, women are forging careers with considerable financial success. Through extensive research and hundreds of interviews, including dialogs with more than 150 high earners whose annual incomes range from $100,000 to 7 million, Stanny discovered that ...they all had certain traits in common: 1) a profit motive 2) Audacity 3) REslience 4) Encouragement 5) Self-awareness 6) Non-attachment 7) Financial knowhow She amplifies on these in the book itself. Table of Contents Intro: Welcome to the era of the six-figure woman 1. The Queen in the Countinghouse 2. The Lowdown on low earners 3. Raising the bar 4. Strategy 1: The Declaration of Intention 5. Strategy 2: Letting go of the ledge 6. Strategy 3: Get in the Game 7. Strategy 4: Speak Up 8. Strategy 5: The Stretch 9. Strategy 6: Seek Support 10. Strategy 7: Obey the rules of money 11. Claiming our power Appendces: Resources and websites Tips for getting out of dent Investing Basics: Wealthbuilding 101
Re: How to Stay Motivated Re: How to Stay Motivated - Thanks for posting this, Matthew. Keeping the motivation strong is something I've really been struggling with. Donna, I think I was just not pushing as hard as I need to and getting maintenance instead of progress.
Re: What can you do if your franchise is hit by a scandal? Re: What can you do if your franchise is hit by a scandal? - GT - Brilliant Strategy... What can I add? I'm at a loss for words...so I'll shut up now...
Re: Tactics for Blog Traffic Re: Tactics for Blog Traffic - Keeping up with your blog with a new post at least once a week should be atop every blogger's to-do list. The Google "Freshness" approach rewards new, original content.
Introducing a Learner Introducing a Learner - Hi everybody, It is really my pleasure being around so many Entrepreneurs and strategic minds. Strategy is something I always loved and eager over every new move. Being a newbie I would need your support and I hope I would get that. Thanks Stephen


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.



Featured Article


Bottom Footer
Share for a Cause












Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

Five Ways to Show Honest Appreciation

20 MORE Must-Have Search Engine Marketing Tools

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.