How To Build Strong Relationships with Your Clients

Introduction

It’s a fact of life: People are more likely to buy from people they like. You can have all the right qualifications, but if your clients don’t like you, they won’t be likely to refer you or use your services again. And while this may sound like a tall order, there are ways to build strong relationships with clients that go beyond simply being friendly and polite. If you're not sure how to build strong relationships with your own clients, here are some tips.

Help Them Understand What's Possible

Just as you'd be wary of a doctor who claimed to be able to cure every disease, your clients will want to know which problems you can solve. When discussing what's possible, consider the following:

What are the limitations of your service? When is it best used? What makes it unique? How much experience do you have in this area? Do you have anyone on your team with more experience than you who could help lead the project or teach the client how things work (for example, if they're going through one of those "how does Twitter work?" phases)?

If a client wants something done that isn't within your scope, refer them elsewhere or offer up resources on how they might go about getting it done themselves.

Don't Be Afraid to Tell Them No

If you set boundaries and tell your clients what you will and won't do, they'll respect that. Don't be afraid to say no when something isn't right for you or your business—or if a project simply doesn't fit into the direction of your life at the moment.

It's important to be honest about why you're saying no too. Your client should understand why it's not going to work for them, even if it's not something either of you expected would happen. They should also be able to see any potential issues coming down the road with their project or order so they can adjust accordingly and make sure everything goes smoothly in the end!

Don't Try to Guess What They're Thinking

Most of the time, you won't know your client's needs as well as they do. Don’t try to guess what they want or need or even think. The only way you'll know is if they tell you; otherwise, just trust that they know what they want and need better than anyone else does.

Learn How They Communicate and Communicate That Way

Once you’ve identified the person who will be your main contact, make sure to ask them how they prefer to communicate. This could be through email, phone or text message—or any combination of these methods. It might also be that they want to be contacted at different times of day (e.g., early morning or late evening) and by different people (their assistant vs their partner).

It’s a good idea for each client's preferences to be written down somewhere in case anything changes over time.

Focus On Their Needs, Not Yours

The first step in building strong relationships with your clients is to focus on their needs, not yours. By focusing on what the client needs, you can then find ways to help them get it.

It's important to understand their needs and then be flexible in your approach to solving problems. Instead of thinking about what you need from the client, ask yourself how you can help them achieve something they want or need.

Count In a Personal Relationship with Your Client

It's the little things that count in a personal relationship with your client. It's the little things that will make them feel like you care about them, and it's those moments that will build up into a trustful relationship. And if you take the time to show them you care about them, they'll do the same for you.

You're not just selling products or services; you're providing an experience for your customers. That means listening to what they say and asking open ended questions so they can tell you more about themselves and their business or personal situation.

Think of it as though it were an interview—you need all of this information so that when it comes time for a sale, there won't be any surprises!

This isn't just another transaction where everyone goes home happy after making money off each other (and sometimes feeling bad afterward). This is more than just trying to sell something; this is showing someone else how much value we think they have by helping them accomplish their goals.

Conclusion

A strong working relationship with your client is about more than just getting the job done. It's about being able to communicate clearly and effectively, and it's about being willing to listen as well as talk. If you make an effort to keep these things in mind at all times while working with your clients, they'll notice and appreciate your efforts!