Enhancing Your Relationships With Clients

Business Relationship Management
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You have strong relationships with your clients. However, you could still stand to enhance those relationships and build new ones with people with whom you are just starting to connect. It is a great way to grow your business.

In this day and age of innovative and fast-paced technology, connecting with people online is easier and easier and and there are so many benefits to having a great volume of information at your fingertips. Building and enhancing relationships with your clients is critical and there are many ways to do that successfully.

Have a solid agreement with clients

It is essential to have a solid agreement with your clients regarding what is expected of them and of you. That includes the work flow, milestone deliverables, etc. If there is transparency and everyone does their part wholeheartedly, the relationship that you share with your clients will be successful. Having the roles mapped out clearly will cause your client to view you in a very positive light.

Work on the relationship

Relationships, just like any living, breathing thing, need to be cultivated. It is important to spend quality time and serious effort really getting to know one another. The fact is that you will be spending a great deal of time with your clients and it really behooves you to make the most out of that time. Relationships work if, and only if, the two people are able to connect on an emotional level. With that in mind, it is perfectly fine to delve a little into the personal. Possibly, find out what they enjoy doing, etc.

Ask the right questions

When you ask the right questions (the most appropriate ones and the right number of questions), you learn a great deal of valuable information about your clients. At the same time, you should also allow them to ask you questions so that they can get to know you better as well. Solid interaction with mutual respect will really take you far.

Don’t be afraid to decline

There are times when requests from clients are out of line and you shouldn’t hesitate to push back and decline if you feel that it is something that you don’t want to do. You shouldn’t be afraid of the consequences. In many cases, everything will still work out fine. Of course, if the request is reasonable, you should, at least, consider honoring it.

Agree under the proper circumstances

If your client has a request and you can make it happen, you should try to do that. It is all part of managing your client and his or her expectations. You should never merely decline in principle. If you do manage to give the client the majority (if not all) of what is requested, your client will undoubtedly be appreciative and that will certainly strengthen your relationship.

WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?)

When it comes to your client’s needs, it is critical that you put them before your own needs. It doesn’t matter how wonderful you and your business happen to be. All that matters is that you successful at solving the problems of your client.

Give a clear understanding that you want to learn

It is extremely important that you show humbleness to your clients. You never want to come across as arrogant or conceited. You can always learn new things as long as you are open-minded. You are not the only person who can teach others.

Conclusion

Enhancing your client relationships is critical to the success of your business. The stronger and deeper your relationships are with your cllients, the more you will be able to advance your business. Without strong relatiionships with clients, you won’t be able to accomplish anything.

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Author

  • Michael Cohn

    Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has decades of experience in IT and web technologies. Michael founded CompuKol Communications to help small businesses and entrepreneurs increase their visibility and reputation. CompuKol consults, creates, and implements communication strategies for small businesses to monopolize their markets with a unique business voice, vision, and visibility. Mr. Cohn earned a Master’s degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master’s degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

7 Responses

  1. Ellen Barrier says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: ForbesWoman

    Discussion: Enhancing Your Relationships With Clients

    I agree. Building confidence and trust with clients is the key to grow your business.
    Posted by Ellen Barrier

     

  2. Christine Nocciolo says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: ForbesWoman

    Discussion: Enhancing Your Relationships With Clients

    Totally agree. Being able to speak comfortably to clients and having them trust you is the most important factor in our business.
    Posted by Christine Nocciolo

     

  3. Christine Nocciolo says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Women 2.0

    Discussion: Enhancing Your Relationships With Clients

    I build a strong, reliable relationship with all my clients. I offer guidance to them throughout our whole process. "Their Success…..Is my Success!"
    Posted by Christine Nocciolo

     

  4. Richard Rinyai says:

    I agree completely on this.  Whatever happened to building a rapport with clients?  I have gotten quite a bit of repeat business because I truly care about my clients and make sure to go above and beyond the call of duty.  

  5. Dave Skipton says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Small Business & Independent Consultant Network

    Discussion: Enhancing Your Relationships With Clients

    This is very well written. Improving communication between involved parties leads to stronger understanding. Client loyalty, rests almost entirely on feeling that. the person they work with understands them.
    Posted by Dave Skipton

     

  6. Patrick Flanagan says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Small Business & Independent Consultant Network

    Discussion: Enhancing Your Relationships With Clients

    All relationships take work from both parties. It is a given, if you put in the time, the relationship will blossom and take on new meanings as it grows. It is always harder in the beginning, with not knowing much about how the other party ticks, but when you put the fear of the new relationship aside, you may have a lifelong ally. Just stay true to yourself and the rest will come on its own. Be open to differences and you will be able to grow together.
    Posted by Patrick Flanagan

     

  7. Belinda Summers says:

    “Without strong relationships with clients, you won’t be able to accomplish anything.” I strongly agree to this statement. In order to have a strong relationship with them you must communicate with them constantly using the various marketing techniques (through social media, telemarketing, email marketing or your company blog). You may not know one day they’ll serve as your ambassadors. See the big opportunity ahead? Serve your customer properly and in due time you’ll gonna harvest your reward.