Are you …
- Always thinking about the next sale?
- Having difficulty creating client loyalty?
- Not getting the repeat business or referrals you want from your current clients?
Well maybe it’s time for you to start thinking about client appreciation.
If done well, client appreciation is an integral part of the sales/marketing strategy of any business. After all, it costs five times more to land a new client than to maintain the relationship with an existing client. It’s not enough to interact with the customer only when a sale is happening. A good client appreciation strategy should include regular check-ins that are not “chasing the sale” but a genuine “Thank you for your business.” In order to stay top of mind with your client, you can include in person meetings, telephone calls, e-mails, handwritten notes, videos and intentional gift giving.
The Customer Experience Has An Impact
Think about your experience at a restaurant. If your food is delivered, your waiter can just sit back and wait to clear the empty dishes or sail by with a perfunctory inquiry about the food. Or, your waiter can make a real effort to find out how the meal is going, check on water glasses, offer more drinks or bread and otherwise contribute to your experience at the restaurant. Which kind of service gets the bigger reward? The answer should be obvious. The bread and water offered by the waiter may seem simple, but these gestures, free of charge to the customer, make for a memorable, pleasant experience, as well as a big tip! The extra attention that gets rewarded when dining out is the sort of attention that will keep your clients loyal and invested in your success.
What Is Client Appreciation?
Client appreciation programs have the same impact. It has been shown that 68% of customers who stop doing business with a company, do so because they do not feel appreciated. An appreciation gesture — that phone call, handwritten note, or gift — at an unexpected interval, puts the humanity back into the business relationship. It creates a connection with the customer that goes beyond the sale, it builds trust and gratitude. When a client feels appreciated, they want to continue the relationship resulting in repeat business. But also, a customer who feels a genuine connection with you and your business can become an advocate for your business — promoting it through referrals and positive reviews.
When thinking about client appreciation programs, some people balk at the time it takes and the cost. However, the success rate of selling to an existing client is 60-70%, while the success rate of selling to a new client is 5-20%. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to your client relationships. Given the time, energy and expense of landing a new client, investing in the relationships of your existing clients will inevitably be less expensive and more productive.
Be Thoughtful
At VirtuArte, we feel that a customer appreciation program should be intentional. This means that every appreciation gesture needs to be thoughtful. Take the time to call your client and find out how they are doing. If you are going to send a card, handwrite it with a personalized message. Sending a video? Again, personalize it. If you decide to give a gift, make the effort to find a gift that shows you’ve paid attention to the client as a person. This makes the gift memorable to your client. Use your periodic check-ins to do more than assess how the client is doing, use them to show your client you really appreciate their business.
Want to know more about how you can show your customers how much you appreciate them? Contact us here to set up a consultation about customized client appreciation programs to strengthen your client relationships.
