Keeping up good communications with clients is essential for better relationships. Without it, you could lose good business and IT support and damage your reputation. This, of course, is the last thing you want to happen. Therefore, you will want to use these seven tips to ensure that does not happen.
1: Keep it Clear
Most clients don’t want over-complicated emails or endless phone conversations. What most clients want is a simple, stress-free business relationship that doesn’t cost them too much time. For this reason, you should focus on keeping communications as clear as possible while also ensuring you don’t omit any important information. When emailing, remember to protect anything sent back and forth, too. GoAnywhere’s secure mail client is a great alternative to regular email, so use that if you consistently send and receive files from clients.
2: Respond Quickly
Nobody wants to wait days for a response. To keep good communications with all your clients, prioritize responding as quickly as possible. If you can’t deal with the particular situation right away, make sure you’re transparent with your client about when you can deal with the matter. It is also handy to use an automated response when you are out of the office, so no clients ever think you are ignoring them when you are simply away.
3: Stay Within Office Hours
Establishing office hours between clients early on is crucial. These boundaries will help you keep a professional, positive relationship. After all, most clients don’t want to have to check their emails at 9 pm!
4: Get to Know Them Individually
Avoid treating your clients as one big group. Instead, get to know each one individually and communicate with them as such. Remembering small details is a good way of establishing a stronger relationship with them. Emotional connections are hard to establish with clients, but putting the effort into knowing each one individually is a great start and will help you have better conversations.
5: Own Up to Mistakes
Mistakes in business are common. What isn’t as usual, though, is admitting to them. Instead of trying to shift the blame when something goes wrong, be open and honest with your client by owning up to it before finding solutions to fix it. They will appreciate the honestly far more than the diversion of responsibility.
6: Meet in Real Life
While this is not always an option, when you can, meet your clients in real life. Technology has indeed made great online relationships far easier, but no amount of video calls will ever beat seeing someone face to face. It’s a way to establish stronger relationships and has more honest communication.
7: Listen More
Many communications fail because of a poor listener on one end – do not be that person. Instead, be sure to listen to your client’s needs and wants. It will help you meet their expectations better while showing them that you care and respect their voice and opinion.
Better communication equals a stronger relationship.
With these seven tips, you will encounter more open and positive conversations with your clients.