Editor’s Note: Here at Dispatches, we are always looking for ways to help our readers do things. For some of our readers, that means helping navigate the working world, for others, it means assisting in the ever challenging question, “what’s for dinner?” For still others, it means figuring out how to balance family life with everything else. In an effort to aid in all of these endeavors, we have collaborated on this article written specifically for our readers.
It can take weeks, if not months, of meeting with potential clients and pitching to them to try to win their support and work. Eventually, after all that hard work on your part, finding out that a new client has decided to sign with you can be a huge relief. But that doesn’t mean that you can now become complacent. In fact, this is where the real hard work kicks in as you will need to start impressing your new client and showing them that signing with you was the right choice.
To help you impress all your new clients, here are some important golden rules that all businesses should follow. If you do, then your client will be incredibly happy with your work right from day one.
Send A Welcome Pack
Lots of successful companies send new clients a welcome package. There are lots of things that you can include, but most business owners like to add a little leaflet about their business and what the client can expect. This instantly sets the tone for your work together. It’s also a nice idea to add a few gifts as well. You can add some custom car air fresheners, a personalized mouse mat or even a T-shirt with your logo on it.
Treat Them As Real People
Don’t just treat a new client as your next paycheck. The business is run by people and you would be wise to not forget this aspect. So, be sure to take a short time to get to know your client well, especially the faces who you will be dealing with on a regular basis. Make sure that all of your employees who will be in contact with them also do the same. This goes beyond remembering everyone’s names to knowing when they prefer to have conference calls to the type of communication each person prefers.
Research Their Business And Industry
Before you do get started on the new project for your client, it’s a good idea to research their business and industry beyond what you did for the initial pitch. You will no doubt have to ask your client a lot of questions in the initial stages of their project, but doing some research on them will show that you have gone that extra mile to find out more. It could even help you decide which questions to ask in the first place. Plus, if you seem to know more about their industry or sector, then clients are more likely to trust your work.
Ensure Meetings Are Proactive
There’s a good chance that you will need to hold a few meetings once you do sign a new client. This gives you both the chance to ask any last-minute questions and also plan for the first few stages of the project. However, make sure that your meetings aren’t at all boring. They need to have a clear goal and you need to be proactive to reach that goal. So, it’s worth setting up an agenda for each meeting. This will help to keep them focused and no one’s time will be wasted.
It’s always a good idea to let your client know about all the latest industry news and trends. If you inform them of these then they will have a better idea of how to always stay one step ahead of their competitors. This is also a good time to make sure they have access to reviewing the latest tools and tech devices to determine if updating or upgrading makes sense for the business. Using these new gadgets when completing the project work may help projects get done faster.
Be Organized
Don’t forget that good time-management skills and organization are absolutely key to your new client relationship. Plus, you will need a lot of top organization skills if you are managing various clients and deadlines. In order to improve any organization flaws in your company, you should consider implementing a few different workflows for your employees to follow. Utilizing a tool like Google Calendar can also keep everyone’s appointments and planned meetings in one place. The reminders that these kinds of calendar tools send out can be lifesavers if something ever slips your mind and they’ll prevent you double booking yourself!