Developing Trust & Mutual Respect With Clients
No business goes far without carefully cultivating its client relationships. A business builds up trust and mutual respect with its clients by consistently demonstrating a commitment to prompt and honest communication, excellence in service, and ethical business practices. Without such a commitment, no amount of salesmanship will keep the relationship intact.
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Communication
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A healthy client relationship is built on clear, honest and frequent communication. A businessman who makes sure his client understands what he's going to do, when he's going to do it, how he's going to do it, and makes himself available for questions sends the message that he's engaged, reliable and considerate of the client's needs. Checking back with the client at intervals, instead of waiting for her to call, inspires trust.
Honesty
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A wise businessman is careful to be transparently honest with his clients. One who promises more than he can deliver in order to get the sale, covers up errors, or keeps moving the project completion date won't keep his client long. It's essential to be honest with your client, even if you're delivering disappointing news. You client will have more respect for you if you confess an error than if you try to paper it over.
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Courtesy
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A businessman who responds quickly and diligently to a client concern, who avoids wasting her time, and who gives her the sense that her needs are a priority to him is more likely to keep her business with his company. Courtesy is, in essence, showing respect for the needs and concerns of your clients. It may also take the form of going the extra mile: putting in a few hours on the weekend to cover an unexpected, last-minute project, for example.
Respect for Deadlines
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A businessman who shows respect for his client's time and honors deadlines is valued by his clients. After all, everyone has had the irritating experience of hiring a plumber who agreed to arrive at noon and didn't show up until 4 p.m. A company that displays a like disregard for appointment times or project deadlines will lose the trust of its clients, and eventually, their business.
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References
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