Why Regular Client Communication Matters
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to let client relationships fall by the wayside. We get so caught up in our day-to-day work that proactively reaching out starts to feel like another task on an already overflowing to-do list. But maintaining open, consistent client communication is critically important and the consequences of neglecting it can be severe.
Poor communication erodes trust. When clients feel you’ve disappeared, they may worry you’ve lost interest in their business or taken on too much work to give them the service they deserve. Lack of communication prevents you from uncovering issues or opportunities. Valuable insights fall through the cracks when you’re not regularly connecting. And you miss chances to deepen relationships. Without an open dialog, clients don’t really know who you are or what you can offer them.
The bottom line is infrequent communication jeopardizes retention. Clients are more likely to take their business elsewhere if they don’t hear from you regularly. They want to feel valued, not forgotten. So being proactive about outreach is crucial for protecting revenue and growing your book of business. The good news is with some planning and effort, you can prevent communication gaps from undermining your success – as we’ll explore in this guide.
The Dangers of Infrequent Communication
Infrequent communication with clients can lead to a variety of issues. When you don’t maintain regular contact, clients may start to feel forgotten or unimportant. They may wonder if you still value their business or are actively working on their projects.
Lack of communication also increases the chances for misunderstandings. When conversations are spaced too far apart, important details can get lost or distorted. Assumptions may be made on both sides that lead to confusion down the road.
In addition, valuable opportunities could be missed if you aren’t connecting regularly. Your clients may have new projects or referrals come up that they would offer you if the relationship was front of mind. But if they haven’t heard from you in awhile, they may seek out other options instead.
The bottom line is that clients want to feel like a valued partner in an ongoing relationship. Infrequent communication makes that difficult and can ultimately undermine the relationship. That’s why it’s important to maintain regular contact through multiple channels.
Client Communication: Set a Schedule
To maintain strong relationships and meet client expectations, aim to contact each client at least 1-2 times per month. This regular cadence demonstrates that you care and are thinking of them, even when you don’t have pressing business to discuss.
Schedule social media posts, newsletters, and other communications channels in advance using a calendar tool. Block out time on your calendar for drafting emails, texts, and calling clients as well. Planning your communications allows you to craft more thoughtful, personalized messages instead of dashing something off last minute.
Set reminders leading up to scheduled communications as well. For example, set a reminder 3 days before your monthly newsletter goes out to start drafting content. Or set a reminder to call a client 2 weeks after sending a proposal if you haven’t heard back.
Automating some recurring communications like birthday messages or social media posts can save time too. But strive to incorporate personalized details and customization for important touchpoints. The frequency is key, but quality content that provides real value will strengthen relationships much more than generic mass messages.
Track your communications cadence in a CRM system to ensure you are contacting each client consistently. Adjust your approach based on client preferences and communication style. Some may appreciate a quick text while others prefer a detailed email update. Building rapport leads to better conversations and deeper relationships.
Client Communication: Use Multiple Channels
It’s important to communicate through a variety of channels with your clients to keep things interesting and ensure you’re reaching them. Here are some channels to consider:
Email is a standard way to share announcements, newsletters, promotions, etc. Send regular emails to all contacts, but also reach out personally when appropriate.
Phone Calls
Don’t underestimate the power of a phone call to strengthen relationships and communicate important updates. Schedule regular check-in calls.
Text Messages
Texting offers a more casual way to stay top of mind. Send greetings on holidays, share company news, or check in when you haven’t connected in awhile.
Social Media
Interact via your business and personal social media accounts. Like and comment on clients’ pages, share content, and send exclusive promotions.
Handwritten Notes
In an increasingly digital world, receiving something handwritten makes a memorable impression. Mail greeting cards, postcards from events, or even a simple note.
In-Person Meetings
Make time for in-person meetings, coffee, meals, or events. The face-to-face interactions can really strengthen relationships.
By mixing up your communications across multiple platforms, you can keep things fresh while ensuring your clients always feel engaged. Get creative in how you vary your outreach style and channels.
Client Communication: Personalize Each Interaction
One of the best ways to nurture a strong connection with your clients is to personalize each interaction. Take the time to learn about their unique needs, interests, and personal details. Ask thoughtful questions, acknowledge major life events, and demonstrate you remember the little things too.
For example, you could ask a long-time client how their kid’s baseball season is going, or ask a new client what they enjoy doing in their spare time. When appropriate, send a personalized message congratulating them on a promotion at work or the purchase of a new home. Little details like remembering they recently got back from a trip or that their daughter just started high school go a long way.
Personalized interactions demonstrate you care about the whole person, not just their business with you. It strengthens the relationship and makes clients feel valued. The extra effort to customize your communication to each individual will lead to higher client satisfaction and retention over time.
Client Communication: Share Value
When communicating with clients, always aim to provide something of value in each interaction. This could be useful content, a special discount, industry news, or other information that will make their time worthwhile.
- Consider sharing articles or resources related to their business needs. If you come across an insightful blog post, forward or summarize it for them.
- Offer exclusive discounts, sales, or special offers that are only being sent to your clients. Everyone appreciates saving money on services they already use.
- Keep them updated on news and changes within your industry. Clients look to you as the expert, so keeping them informed demonstrates your knowledge.
- Pass along tips or strategies that could help them operate more efficiently or profitably. Share your expertise by providing actionable advice.
- Send personalized birthday or holiday wishes. A simple personalized message shows you care.
The goal is to make sure each piece of communication offers some form of value. This helps build the relationship and gets clients looking forward to hearing from you. Over time, they will come to appreciate you as a trusted partner rather than just a vendor.
Client Communication: Listen and Learn
Communication goes two ways. When connecting with clients, always make time to listen and learn about their preferences. Ask how they would like you to get in touch and if your current cadence meets their needs. Be open to feedback about when and how often they want to hear from you.
Some clients may only want a quick email update once a month while others expect a phone call every week. Adapt based on each individual client’s needs instead of sticking to a rigid one-size-fits-all approach. Show them that their opinion matters by genuinely incorporating their input.
Make a note after each interaction about any communication preferences the client mentions. Over time, you will better understand how to best stay in touch with each person. Listening is just as important as the talking and messaging you do. Keep an open dialogue to ensure your outreach is helpful, not annoying. With some adjustments based on client feedback, you can build connections that feel more personal and valued on both sides.
Client Communication: Automate Where Possible
Staying in regular communication with all your clients takes time and effort. While personal touches are important, there are ways to automate some of the outreach to make it more manageable.
- Set up calendar reminders for yourself to check in with clients on a regular schedule. Whether it’s every two weeks, once a month, or quarterly, putting it on your calendar helps ensure it doesn’t slip through the cracks.
- Build email sequences that go out periodically to share valuable content, remind clients of your services, or simply say hello. Many email marketing platforms like MailChimp allow you to set these up in advance.
- Schedule social media posts to consistently stay top of mind. Tools like Hootsuite let you plan out posts and messages across platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and schedule them to automatically publish.
Automation handles the repetitive tasks so you can focus on having quality conversations. The personal follow-up and two-way dialogue is what builds lasting connections. Use automation to spark engagement, not replace it.
Client Communication: Measure Results
It’s important to track the effectiveness of your communication efforts in order to optimize and improve over time. Here are a few key metrics to monitor:
- Open/response rates: Look at how many recipients are opening your emails or newsletters and clicking on links. Low open rates may indicate problems with subject lines or sender reputation. Non-responses to your outreach could mean your messages aren’t compelling or personalized enough.
- Conversion rates: If you’re including special offers or discounts in your communication, calculate the percentage that get redeemed or convert to sales. This shows how well your outreach is driving revenue.
- Referrals/reviews: Gauge if recipients are referring others or leaving positive reviews as a result of your relationship-building. This reveals the level of satisfaction and loyalty you’re establishing.
- Survey feedback: Collect direct input by occasionally asking clients for feedback on your communication style, frequency and content via surveys.
- Unsubscribe rates: A spike in unsubscribes could signify your messages aren’t resonating. Re-evaluate the relevance and tone.
- Social engagement: Track shares, comments, and mentions resulting from your outreach efforts. This highlights how interesting and shareable your content is.
By regularly assessing these metrics, you can refine your communication strategy to maximize effectiveness. The higher the response and conversion rates, the more revenue you will see from nurturing relationships with clients through consistent outreach.
Client Communication Matters
Staying in frequent communication with clients is critical for maintaining strong relationships and avoiding issues caused by distance and lack of contact. To recap the key points:
- Infrequent client communication can lead to misunderstandings, loss of opportunities, and damaged relationships. Set a schedule for regular check-ins across multiple channels.
- Personalize each interaction by addressing clients by name, asking questions, and sharing valuable insights or resources. Show them you care.
- Listen closely to identify needs or concerns. Use communication as a chance to learn and improve.
- Automate repetitive tasks like newsletters or appointment reminders whenever possible. But customize and tailor key messages.
- Track open and response rates as well as client feedback. Evaluate what’s working and make changes to optimize engagement.
Consistent communication, even during slow periods, is the best way to build trust and loyalty with clients. Avoid allowing distance or silence between interactions. Instead, implement a system today to stay connected. Your clients will appreciate you taking the initiative to keep them informed and engaged.