The art of building relationships with your top clients Nov 27th
It’s all very well pulling out all of the stops to land those big contracts, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So many companies invest the big bucks into netting those top contracts, only to then see relationships deteriorate with said clients to such a point where they lose their account.
All of the above is why an increasing amount of emphasis is being placed on building personal relationships with clients. At one point, this would be frowned upon, but now the benefits are loud and clear and companies know that it’s absolutely crucial for survival.
We will now take a look at some of the most common ways in which firms tap into this approach and ultimately make their client relationships long and fruitful.
The rise of corporate hospitality
It’s certainly nothing new, but there’s no doubt that corporate hospitality has taken on a slightly different turn over the past few years. It may have had something of a stigma attached to it several years ago, but now companies are constantly turning to it in a bid to woo their clients.
When we talk about this “stigma”, we’re really referring to the “standard” wine and dine culture that many companies adopted. While this still goes on, and works very well in some cases, you also only have to look at the Team Tactics website to see the other events that are proving popular. It might be a sporting event (involving participation from everyone), or a trip to a sporting event as a spectacle. The options are far and wide but certainly provide that personal experience that clients now expect.
The human touch
On the subject of being personal, let’s talk about the human touch. The previous suggestion certainly falls into this category, but day-to-day actions also count.
In the age of technology, many relationships don’t even incorporate face-to-face meetings. Instead, they’re conducted over the internet. Sure, this might be a more efficient way of working, but it’s anything but personable. You can’t assess body language, or any similar signals, and this just makes the relationship a little “inhuman”.
We’re not saying invest in a weekly meeting, but simply meeting clients once a quarter can at least bring faces to names and move the relationship to the next level.
The flexi-factor
Particularly if your company is looking after a lot of clients, it can become easy to refer to the “company policy” approach. In other words, if a client needs a touch of flexibility, declining due to policy can be one of the easiest ways out.
However, opting for such an approach isn’t going to increase the chances of that elusive long and loving relationship. Instead, try and be flexible with your approach – even if it isn’t for every request. Clients have started to expect the “company policy” answer, so any response better than this is going to give them a pleasant surprise and obviously boost your relationship no-end.
Nov 27th
It’s all very well pulling out all of the stops to land those big contracts, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So many companies invest the big bucks into netting those top contracts, only to then see relationships deteriorate with said clients to such a point where they lose their account.
All of the above is why an increasing amount of emphasis is being placed on building personal relationships with clients. At one point, this would be frowned upon, but now the benefits are loud and clear and companies know that it’s absolutely crucial for survival.
We will now take a look at some of the most common ways in which firms tap into this approach and ultimately make their client relationships long and fruitful.
The rise of corporate hospitality
It’s certainly nothing new, but there’s no doubt that corporate hospitality has taken on a slightly different turn over the past few years. It may have had something of a stigma attached to it several years ago, but now companies are constantly turning to it in a bid to woo their clients.
When we talk about this “stigma”, we’re really referring to the “standard” wine and dine culture that many companies adopted. While this still goes on, and works very well in some cases, you also only have to look at the Team Tactics website to see the other events that are proving popular. It might be a sporting event (involving participation from everyone), or a trip to a sporting event as a spectacle. The options are far and wide but certainly provide that personal experience that clients now expect.
The human touch
On the subject of being personal, let’s talk about the human touch. The previous suggestion certainly falls into this category, but day-to-day actions also count.
In the age of technology, many relationships don’t even incorporate face-to-face meetings. Instead, they’re conducted over the internet. Sure, this might be a more efficient way of working, but it’s anything but personable. You can’t assess body language, or any similar signals, and this just makes the relationship a little “inhuman”.
We’re not saying invest in a weekly meeting, but simply meeting clients once a quarter can at least bring faces to names and move the relationship to the next level.
The flexi-factor
Particularly if your company is looking after a lot of clients, it can become easy to refer to the “company policy” approach. In other words, if a client needs a touch of flexibility, declining due to policy can be one of the easiest ways out.
However, opting for such an approach isn’t going to increase the chances of that elusive long and loving relationship. Instead, try and be flexible with your approach – even if it isn’t for every request. Clients have started to expect the “company policy” answer, so any response better than this is going to give them a pleasant surprise and obviously boost your relationship no-end.
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