Keeping Clients Takes Planning

Source: Accounting Web

Providing value is essential, but not enough, to retain clients. Here are some ideas you may want to consider:

·    Some firms believe in hiring people with the right attitudes and teaching them the required skills. A highly skilled professional with a negative attitude will lose clients.

·    Communicate. Clients want to know what is happening in your firm. Tell them about product and service innovations, new technology, etc. Use the communication channels they prefer (e.g., don’t send e-mails to clients who hate them).

·    Get to know the clients in a personal way. You may think you do; but, do you know their personal strengths and weaknesses? Do you know about their lives outside of business?

·    Don’t be hard to reach.

·    Be empathetic. But your empathy must be genuine. Think like your client.

·    Learn how to listen. Avoid the tendency to interrupt and to formulate a response while you are supposedly listening.

·    Clients should feel a sense of security when interacting with you.

·    Clients should know that your experience is invaluable to them.

·    Clients should know that you have a tremendous reservoir of resources available to them.

·    Your messages should be short and simple, and leave no room for misunderstanding.

For the complete article, see Accounting Web, February 14, 2005, www.accountingweb.com