This article was provided by Shaun Buck and our friends at Newsletter Pro, an industry leader in print newsletters for small businesses. Their goal is to help businesses grow to their full potential with marketing strategies that seek to strengthen relationships with their prospects and customers. Click here to learn more.
Here’s a hot take: Starting a case with a new client is like going on a first date. The longer you work together, the more serious the relationship gets! And the parallels don’t end there.
If you want to keep your girlfriend/boyfriend around, you have to put in the effort, right? You need to get them little gifts, make time for them in your schedule, and do all of that mushy stuff to show them you care. If you don’t, they’ll be out of there! The same is true for your clients.
How long has it been since you reminded your clients that you care? If you’re not sure, then you could be closer to a breakup (and losing potential repeat business and referrals) than you think.
The Truth About Breaking Up
Every time your firm loses a client, not only do you lose their current business, but you also lose all future growth and profit from them. Maybe this is controversial, but I think that if you’re good at what you do, then you should take this kind of breakup personally. I’m talking “pint of ice cream crying in front of the TV” personally. That’s because when a client leaves, what they’re basically saying is that you’re not that good. And I don’t know about you, but for me, that hurts! I’m proud of my business and my team, and I want my customers to be proud too.
The Secret To Staying Together
So, how can you increase client retention and get that repeat business? It all comes down to two things: creating a strong client relationship and providing a client experience that goes above and beyond their expectations.
A print newsletter can help with both. (You didn’t think I’d fail to point that out when my company is called Newsletter Pro, did you?) But there are a ton of other things you can do to keep your clients going steady, like answering these questions about your client experience:
- What happens when a prospect calls?
- How is someone treated when they’re on the phone?
- How about when they walk in for the first time?
- Do they get a client guarantee/promise flier if they’re not in the office?
- What happens after their first visit?
- How often do you send something physical to them that isn’t an advertisement or bill?
- Do they get a new client gift?
- How do you hand them off from sales to their attorney?
- What is their first interaction with their attorney like?
- What does your month to month communication with clients and prospects look like?
Think about the advantage you’ll have over your competitors if you line up great answers to all of those questions. How much more repeat business would you get simply based on the experience and relationships you built? What about referrals? Or prospects converting to clients? Yeah … relationships are a pretty big deal.
Putting In The Work
You don’t have to listen to me, and frankly, many people who read this won’t do what I say because it’s hard or expensive or [insert excuse here]. The problem is that your firm will get left behind if you don’t take steps to improve retention. The business world is changing at a fast pace, and relationships and experience are king. You can ignore my warnings about relationship marketing and bury your head in the sand, or you can jump on board the train, create those client experiences and relationships, and thrive.
Don’t let the train blow past you. You’ll just break your own heart (and probably your bank account).
Spotlight Branding
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