What do you do if your business strategy clients seem hard to reach and engage with?

1 Understand Barriers

Before you can effectively re-engage with your clients, you need to understand what's keeping them at arm's length. Are they overwhelmed with their day-to-day operations, or do they feel your strategies are not aligned with their business goals? Engage in active listening and empathize with their challenges. This insight will allow you to tailor your communication and approach, ensuring you're addressing their concerns and needs directly.

2 Reassess Strategies

If your clients are drifting away, it might be time to reassess the strategies you've provided. Are they practical, actionable, and aligned with the client's resources and capabilities? Make sure your strategies are not only sound in theory but also feasible in practice. Clients appreciate a plan that acknowledges their unique situation and provides a clear roadmap to success.

3 Enhance Communication

Communication is the lifeblood of any consultant-client relationship. If your clients are hard to reach, consider diversifying your communication channels. Use emails, phone calls, video conferences, and even face-to-face meetings if possible. Be proactive but not intrusive, and always ensure that your communication adds value, providing insightful updates and check-ins that respect their time.

4 Offer Flexibility

Flexibility can be a game-changer in re-engaging distant clients. Offer to adjust timelines, scope, or even the strategic approach itself to better fit their current situation. Show that you're willing to work with them and adapt as their business evolves. This flexibility demonstrates that you're committed to a partnership rather than just a one-off transaction.

5 Provide Education

Sometimes clients disengage because they don't fully understand the strategies being proposed. Take the time to educate them on the rationale behind your recommendations. Use simple, jargon-free language to explain how your strategies can help them achieve their business objectives. An informed client is more likely to be an engaged one.

6 Build Trust

Ultimately, re-engaging with your clients comes down to trust. Be consistent in your efforts, deliver on your promises, and show genuine interest in their success. Trust is built over time through actions that show you're a reliable partner invested in their long-term goals. Once trust is established, engagement often follows naturally.