Good relationships marketing means being truly interested in the people you deal with, both from a business and personal view. Relationship Marketing is a key factor in today’s business world. It’s not anymore about the initial enthusiasm you show when you bag a project, but, the continuing process of understanding the client’s requirement is what matters most. Even after the project gets completed, the way you nurture and grow your relationship with the client will ensure that the client comes back to you every single time. Also, if the service you offer is consistent and reliable, then word of mouth will bring in more and more projects for you.
Here are some of the ways to build a strong client relationship
Communicate on a Personal Note
What many people fail to understand is that “Every conversation with a client need not be about business alone.” While discussing business issues is usually the main purpose of speaking with someone, finding out something personal about them takes the relationship to the next level. Learning about hobbies, special interests, family, accomplishments, leisure time activities, organization memberships, and special dates such as birthdays will help you make a deeper connection with them. Peeling off layers of formality can lead to much better and long lasting relationships.
Consider Your Client Success as Your Own
The success of a project you are working on for a client is imperative for your success, but, your client’s success is not alone dependent on the project. Understanding the client’s business and helping them out with ways they can improve their business is one of the ways to build a strong relationship. No one will get offended if you offer a suggestion. The way you suggest makes all the difference. The core philosophy of management of customer relationships is relatively simple and constant, i.e. focus on the relationship with your customer not as a single transaction but as a partnership.
Speak United
Imagine if your developer is asked something about your company by the client and, the information he shares is different from what you have shared. Clients want to know that their needs are being addressed consistently throughout the organization. It should be your main agenda to communicate the client’s goals and objectives at every level throughout the company. This ensures that the client gets the correct picture about the project progress. Regular, ongoing communication involving all team members usually results in more creative solutions to difficult problems and saves both time and money. Not ensuring this will lead to severed relationships and may also force clients to cancel projects.
Create a Point of Contact
A high-level individual with significant managerial experience and extensive market knowledge can be a vital go-between for the two companies, particularly in times when problems arise or when appropriate teams or staff members are being assigned to a particular project.
Setup a Committee for each Client
A committee comprising of individuals from both companies is very helpful to review the efficiency and comfort with which the two businesses collaborate. Such type of a committee will also help to identify potential challenges and provide methods to the teams, which will help to improve upon the strong points of the relationship.
In the future, more and more reliance will be placed on relationships. In some cases, these are termed “partnerships,” and that is truly what they are because, each party relies on the others help to be successful. Each partner has a vested interest in cultivating and maintaining the relationship even if the other doesn’t seem to be sharing in the effort. Relationship marketing is one for the present and also for the future. Investing in relationship marketing is one of the best decisions your organization can take.