Tis the season of "checking in" with your clients

The holiday hibernation is over and we’re back in the game dialing it up again, which means we’re actually dialing our clients for the proverbial “checking-in”. Awesome idea. I’m a big proponent of starting the year strong through intensified prospecting.

There’s just one problem: the phrase “I’m just checking-in…” is lazy and disrespectful to your buyers. (The only exception is if you and a particular buyer have been doing business for years and you have earned the right for “just checking-in”). 

In honor of the following top-ten sales mantra – always bring something of value to your buyer – I’m begging you to strike the “just checking-in” from your vernacular and change your mindset on how to approach your clients.

So, what should you say and do when, in truth, you truly are “just checking in”?

Well, the first rule is DON’T JUST CHECK-IN.  Don't even use those words. Train yourself to be smarter, more creative, and more dedicated to the art of bringing value to your clients. It may mean fewer touches, but the interactions that DO happen will be more meaningful. 

For me, I think in terms of three value buckets that I try filling rather than “just checking in”: (1) news and developments about my client, (2) what’s going on here at my company that I can package, and (3) industry trends and news relating to the work I'm doing/want to do between me and my client. Perhaps my bucket theory or the following details help prod you to think more of bringing value in your client communications. Either way…DON’T JUST CHECK-IN! 

1. Client news: dig deeper than you’ve ever dug before to really know your client…I guarantee there’s something you can find out that has relevance to you. Scour their press releases, social media outreach, websites, and google searches to learn the latest. How it relates to your work together and what you can package in your outreach is the fun part for you to figure out!

2. Internal company news: what has recently happened at your company that can be packaged into a “value nugget” for your prospects? This could be anything from research, to white papers, to case studies, to new offering enhancements. (If the cupboard is bare, put some pressure on your sales management to help create “value nuggets” to bring clients.) 

3. Industry news: what have you learned recently in the trades and business news that applies to what you and your clients are doing together? While your client also probably saw the news, perhaps they haven’t thought in the terms that you can package for them. So....scan the usual sources for items you think will be interesting to your clients - and then make sure you answer the "SO WHAT?” to help wrap something truly of value to them.

I don't want to rain on your parade with your newfound energy at the start of this year....YES, contact your clients.  YES, develop an aggressive list management protocol that forces you to be more active than ever before.  (After all, it IS a numbers game.)  Yet I'm urging you to be a true professional which means NOT contacting your buyers  J U S T  T O  C H E C K  I N.