Loyal clients are the most important part of your business. On average, repeat clientele spend 33% more per visit than a new client and are also easier (and cheaper) to market to, allowing you to grow your business faster and with less marketing dollars. But how do you cultivate that loyalty and build a relationship with your clients that will keep them coming back time and time again? Let’s talk about some of the more important ways to build a positive relationship with your client.
Deliver Great Customer Service Experiences
Every bit of contact you have with a client is an opportunity to create good experiences and build a positive relationship. From the moment they visit your website, pick up the phone, or walk through the door of your spa or salon, you have the opportunity to provide the best possible experience for them. Making sure things are easy to find on your website and that all contact is friendly, helpful and professional can go a long way. A client who always leaves any interaction with your spa or salon happy and satisfied is one who will not only return, but who will tell friends about your business as well.
Communicate Regularly
Communication is always key when building a relationship. Find out where and how often your clients want to hear from you. And then communicate with them regularly in the form that works best for them. Email marketing or posting to social media is a powerful way to keep your business in the front of your client’s mind and a good way to build rapport. Making sure that not all of your communications are sales based is a good way to demonstrate that the relationship you have with your clients (& not just their money) is important to you. Sharing valuable information on a blog or in an email newsletter can help establish you as an expert in your field and turn your business into a trusted resource for your clients. Regular communication can mean the difference between your client thinking about your business the next time they need a service – or going someplace else. Good communication not only helps build a great relationship, but also a healthy business as well.
Listen to Your Clients
If you have satisfied a client once, you can more than likely do so again. But you need to know what they liked and what you could do better. So ask your clients for feedback and then act on it. Really listening to what they have to say and then involving them in improving your processes can not only help you improve your business, but also help it grow over time. So ask them, in both informal and formal ways, and then show an interest in meeting their needs.
Treat Your Loyal Clients Like You Would a Best Friend
Treating your most loyal return clients like best friends can help create an even stronger relationship and really cultivate the loyalty you are hoping for. So do the same things for them that you would do for your best friend. Keep them in the loop on what is going on with your business, either through email, social media posts, or your blog. Share insider information with them through special preview deals and announcements. Involve them in sneak peeks for new products or services before they are available to your entire client base. Ask for their feedback on how you are doing and what they think you could be doing better. Show them that you truly care about them and not only will they keep coming back, they’ll refer their friends and family to you as well.
Cultivating a positive relationship with your clients, both new and existing, is the most powerful way to build a successful business. Every interaction a client has with your business is an opportunity to create an authentic relationship with them which will keep them returning over and over.