So, you’ve taken the plunge and have finally made that first big sale! Go you!

But does just one sale make for smooth sailing in business?

Unlikely.

Learning to successfully land and keep really great clients is the key to keeping your business running and running well. Naturally, overtime, you’ll have to drop bad clients for various reasons, but cultivating positive relationships with awesome clients is a foolproof way to be successful.

Here are 4 easy client retention hacks that just might help you be more successful:

Touch Base with Past Clients

photo-1463573230746-1ee0e49c26a4While landing a new sale is all well and good, you wouldn’t really have a business if it weren’t for the clients that already invested their money. Don’t let these people fall off your radar. It’s easy to pass over an old sale in favor of a new one, but don’t underestimate the power of an intentional past-client relationship. Keeping old clients interested in your work as well as up-to-date with you as just a person is an easy way to make an old client a repeat client. Networking doesn’t stop after the work is done, and often times investing in old clients will be more worth your time than investing in new ones!

Looking to network with new people? No sweat! Old clients can even be a great resource for those highly qualified new sales leads you are looking for. Some of the most meaningful sales you will have will be from past-client recommendation. So don’t let them fall through the cracks. Create a communication strategy for previous clients. Send out a quarterly newsletter, send a personal email every once in awhile, or just keep them up-to-date on ways they can be continuously involved in your business.

Determine Your Target Market

qm8slocj8mWhat market are you trying to reach? New clients only? Past clients? Both?

If you made sales in the past that targeted a particular market but aren’t currently seeing any fruitful sales come out of it, you may need to readjust your target market.

Don’t be afraid to repair neglected relationships and focus on client retention, not just client on-boarding. Start re-engaging clients with your business. After all, they used your business for a reason, so remind them why they did.

  • What sets your company apart?
  • What is special about what you have to offer?
  • What is original about your brand?

The answers to these questions are probably why old clients chose to work with you in the first place. So go back to those basics and remind your target market why you are the best option out there.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

photo-1453838956707-38a7aa3cd62dWhat is a relationship without communication?

Even old client relationships require communication and attention. Making past clients feel remembered, recognized, and important is vital to the growth of your business.

Imagine you have a client who you have completed work for. Why not send them a quick email asking how they are liking the finished product, what they would change about it, or what they wish they could add.

Simple questions like these open the door for great communication and carry the potential for more work! If the client has something they want fixed or added, you could have just landed yourself a repeat sale!

Learn to Take Feedback Seriously

photo-1429216967620-ece20ff3a5f9Feedback is possibly the most valuable asset for you and your business. Don’t blindly assume what your customers want or want to see changed. Just ask them.

Look! Communication at work!

Mold your business strategy around what users are telling you about your business. Determine what they love, what they could do without, and what they want to see added into the mix. Get down to the details and ask customers to give you feedback about every step of working with you, not just their overall opinion of the experience. While general feedback is helpful in some aspects, it’s hard to make positive changes and build a strategy on an umbrella statement.

Learn to take the negative feedback as well. If one client had an issue along the way, it’s likely that another client did as well. So don’t take it too personally. Look at it as a way to make yourself better.

One More Thing…

For a more in-depth look at client relationships and how they affect your business, check out Mike McDerment’s book Crack the Client Code: How to Discover the Hidden Wealth in Each Client.