Why it Pays Off to Develop Your Client Relationships

For many business owners, clients come by the dozens or hundreds.

The size of business may vary, but the impact of client relations is huge. Simple things like communication and a great experience goes a long way, however it's important that you develop professional relationships even after money changes hands.

Clients Will Continue Doing Business

What if a client needs your services again? Who will they go to? Create a great relationship with your clients both during and after you provide services and they will come back for more. One of the most important things a business owner can do is develop a strong rapport with the customer that is built on trust.

A customer who views a business as reliable will continue to do business with them. This is also true for web development agencies. Many business owners don’t have time to worry about their website or don’t have the tools to create an effective and user-friendly interface. By cultivating a trustworthy relationship with these busy clients, they will be more likely to continue to do business with you in the future.

Referrals Will Drive More Sales

Customer referrals are the number one way to gain new clients. It is a tremendous tool for marketing and sales. Building those client relationships will generate more referrals for your business and in turn will help it grow.

How do you gain referrals? Check out this great list of referral resources here, but the easiest way is to simply ask for them. Once you have a large enough customer base, you can get very creative when getting referrals.

It Expands Your Personal Network

By building a client relationship you are expanding your own personal network. This is especially true with web developers that work on LinkedIn. Expanding your network can create exciting new business opportunities.

However, this is not just limited to social networks. If you own a digital agency that has foot traffic and a physical location, it’s important to expand your network within the local business community. This can be done by joining your local chamber of commerce.

Do Something Special and See What Happens

Do you have a high paying client that is dropping thousands of dollars a year on your services? What better way to show your appreciation of their business than by doing special for them. Some ideas include a gift card to a popular restaurant in town, special tickets to a local event, and more simply - a thoughtful thank you card.

Smaller paying clients are still important though. A modest show of appreciation that generated a a sale for me, was simply bringing in a few boxes of donuts for a potential client and their business. This small gesture helped me land a $3500 client. Special things show that you go out of your way for your clients and view them as people rather than just a number.

Clients Can Provide Detailed Testimonials

Building a client relationship isn’t a simple thing that happens overnight. However, after you have provided a great service and laid the foundation of a professional relationship, clients will be able to provide detailed testimonials.

Along the same lines as a referral, a testimonial can drive new business. It also helps gain authority on the services you provide in your area. Your online reputation is dependent on ratings and testimonials. In fact, 92% of online consumers now read reviews. Inspire your clients to leave positive and personal reviews.

You Can Create a Following of Subscribers

Another way of developing a client relationship is by creating an email marketing campaign. This is great for businesses that are creating a following of subscribers. Email marketing is still alive and well and provides a great opportunity to market your business right into their inbox.

Email marketing is a great opportunity and does pay off. If you provide quality content that provides value to the reader, they will be more inclined to continue doing business in the future.

Have Patience, the Hard Work Will Pay Off

Developing a client relationship can take time and even money. The payoff from doing this can help grow your business to levels you never thought possible before. By connecting with the right person, new opportunities can open up for you and your business.

Providing a high quality service with a personal and trustworthy touch motivates clients to continue doing business with you in the future. This also helps generate referrals, ratings, and testimonials so you can grow your business to new, greater heights.