3 Easy Steps to get Long-term clients!
The vision
Before you can start building a long-term relationship with a client you must have a clear vision of the partnership you wish to have with the client. Ask yourself: What would be a perfect partnership for me? What does a long-term relationship with this particular client mean to me and my business? What kind of communication would I like to have with this client? How would I like to be treated? What is this partnership going to help me and my business achieve? Always remember, each client is an individual. They have different ways to communicate, different priorities, different budgets and different goals. So each client needs a new vision! And like in any relationship, your partnership with your client must be mutually beneficial to be sustainable in the long run. So ensure that you also understand your client’s vision of your partnership.
The Purpose
For a client to want to stay with you long-term you have to demonstrate that you serve a clear purpose that is aligned with their business objectives. Make sure that from the get go the client understands your purpose. And that probably starts with you understanding your purpose. Ask yourself: Why does my business exist? What are the reasons for the client to use me? What is the desired result from my partnership with the client? Just like with the vision, your purpose must be tailored to the client. Your business undoubtedly has a general purpose that is fit for all clients. The purpose I am talking about here is a bit more that that. It is adapted to the client. Then the more value you offer through your purpose, the more the client will stick with you.
The Friendship
Partnerships that have solid foundations based on mutual respect are bound to last longer. To make your relationship even stronger with your clients we recommend you make “friend” with them. That is without crossing any boundaries of course. Just through building a relationship that is a bit more personal than just transactional. Think about your best friends and how your relationship is with them. Make sure you apply the same principles to your clients. That includes: being honest, listening to them and respecting their input, caring about them and their goals, being on time, having regular communication with them, having fun with them, not being afraid of having tough conversations with them… If you can handle that, then nothing will stand between you, your client and a long-term relationship! BCF (Best Client Forever ☺)
Helene Hoffmann
Helene is a junior marketing assistant at Sierra Marketing. Helene has a strong entrepreneurial mind and her work at Sierra Marketing lead her to participate in the promotion of the G20 Young Entrepreneur’s Alliance Summit alongside working with clients like Think Bright and Bupa. Helene’s work at Sierra Marketing mostly focuses on online marketing, social media and community management as well as market research, and Helene participated in the creation of the Sierra Leaders program for professional speakers.
