Just hours before a big snow storm we had on the East Coast this past winter, I learned that my landscaper would not be able to plow my driveway because his truck had broken down.  So with such short notice, I took a chance and called a phone number I noticed on my way to the grocery store advertising snow plowing services.  No name, just a number.

When I phoned the number, the young man on the other end did not identify himself and I had to state what I was looking for (Clue #1)   The conversation was pleasant enough and the young man stated that he would have my driveway plowed between 7 AM and noon the next day.  We agreed upon a price and all that was left to do was to wait for the snow to fall.

The snow fell as predicted and the next day I waited for this young man to come and plow my driveway.  I waited and I waited and I waited.  (Clue #2)  There was a lot of snow so I was giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was a little behind schedule.

At 1:30 PM I decided to check in, just to see what was going on and ensure he had not forgotten me. (I was already wary of his reliability just from my first conversation with him.  He had not introduced himself; he had no definite method for telling me how he charged for his service, and; he forgot to ask me for some crucial information – my name and address.) 

I reached him without a problem and he shared with me a very nice “story” about why my driveway had not yet been plowed.  (Clue #3)   He then promised he would have my driveway plowed within the hour.  So again, I waited.  Instead of him showing up as communicated, I received another phone call telling me there would be another yet delay.

At this point, I was done.  In just these brief interactions with this young man I lost all faith and trust in his ability to provide any type of service.  I formed a negative opinion of him and no matter what he said I was at the point of no return. 

The fastest way to lose a new or existing client is to not do what you say you will, when you say you will.  

The fastest way to retaining a client is keeping your word and doing what you say you will, when you say you will.  Fastest

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One of the things that has always been important to me, is creating long-term relationships with our clients and whenever, I meet with a prospective client, that is exactly what I tell them.  I make my intentions known upfront by saying, “My firm and I are looking to enter into a working relationship with you that benefits both of us for the long-term.”  This simple statement really sets the tone for our forthcoming working relationship.

Here are the 6 secrets I use in my own firm to create great long-term client relationships.

1.    Be a good listener. By taking the time to identify the needs of your client by asking them questions and concentrating on what they are really saying gives you knowledge.  Knowledge is power.

Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. Be careful to not make assumptions.  Thinking you intuitively know what your client wants can get you into trouble.   Do you know what three outcomes/deliverables that are most important to your client?

2.  Identify and anticipate needs. Your clients are not buying your services – they are buying solutions to a problem they are experiencing.  When we begin working with a new client, we review all of the requirements/deadlines they may experience throughout the year.  This enables us to be proactive and anticipate upcoming needs well in advance.

3.  Make your clients feel important and appreciated. In my firm we have created a client appreciation system where we are in contact with our clients throughout the year, letting them know how much we appreciate their business and care about what is going on with them.  So when one of our clients obtained their 20th client, which is a very big deal for them, we automatically sent them a celebration cookie bouquet to share in their triumph.

People value sincerity – it creates good will and feelings of trust.  Clients are very intelligent and will know whether or not you really care about them.

4.    Help your clients to understand your process. You may have the very best process for getting things done and if your clients don’t understand what that is, they will get confused, impatient and angry.  Take the time to explain how your process works, not the nitty gritty details, a broad overview so that they can visualize the way the work is being completed.

5.    Get regular feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you can improve your services.  This does not mean that you have to incorporate into your process what they are saying but it does give you good insight into what they are thinking.  Find a simple way in which your clients can give you feedback.  My computer host company actually sends me a short survey to complete each time a work order is completed.

6.    Treat your staff well. Employees and subcontractors are your internal clients and deserve to be treated well.  Thank them and find ways to let them know that they are important.  Remember without them, you would be doing all of the work yourself!