help yourself while you’re helping them.
by jody grunden
clients desire transparency. being transparent with clients and having open, honest communication with them helps build really strong, healthy working relationships. it’s never been so important for us to have open communication channels with our clients at all times no matter what form of communication is being utilized.
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in some organizations, people hide behind their computers if they feel too busy or if they don’t want to face the client because they aren’t able to meet a deadline. we, on the other hand, make it a priority to be available to our clients at all times.
if we want our clients to feel valued and heard, then we need to be responsive when they reach out to us. even if we don’t have the answer immediately, we can respond with an acknowledgment of their message and let them know that we’ll get back to them as soon as possible.
we’re all busy. clients understand that we aren’t always going to be able to answer their questions immediately, but they at least want to know that we received their message and that we’ll get back to them within a reasonable amount of time. when we tell them that we’ll get back to them within a certain timeframe (i.e., tomorrow or by the end of the week), in order to build trust with the client, it’s imperative that we deliver on that promise.
when clients give us long-term projects, such as developing a profit-sharing plan for their leadership team, we know that goal is going to take longer than a few days to accomplish. in that case, we use our project management software to keep track of the workflow and progress on the project. we give the client access to the project management program, which allows them to see where we are on the project at any time.
open communication with clients builds trust, leads to high customer satisfaction rates, and increases client retention. if you find yourself apologizing for delayed responses or losing clients because of poor communication, you have to make this a priority! here are three simple steps to fostering better communication with your clients:
- step 1: start by making an effort to acknowledge questions or requests from clients within one business day. just a simple acknowledgment like, “hey, got your message. i’ll check on that and get back to you tomorrow as soon as i can” will have a positive impact on your relationships with clients.
- step 2: as demonstrated in the example, be sure to let clients know when you will get back to them. then, deliver on that promise!
- step 3: consider ways that you might be able to reduce the number of questions you get from clients. are there frequently asked questions that come up with your clients? maybe it’s time to develop some resources and deliverables that will help address these questions before they’re even asked. can you develop some email templates with instructions or links to resources for your clients or set up an instant messaging system to cut down on the back-and-forth emails? also, look into project management software programs that you might be able to use with your clients to help give them an inside view on the work you’re doing for them.
prioritizing communication with your clients will help them feel valued and will increase their satisfaction with your services. highly satisfied clients will remain clients for as long as they need your services!