Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

  • Home
  • Contact
  • About
    • About Jim Connolly
    • Newsletter
    • The marketing tips you need in 2023!
    • Privacy Policy
    • How I use cookies
    • Disclosure
  • Hire me
    • Let’s Grow Your Business
    • Pick My Brain for the results you need!

You don’t have any clients or customers

By Jim Connolly | July 21, 2021

Exceed expectations

Image: Juli Moreira

You don’t have any clients (or customers).

You also don’t have any subscribers, contacts or followers.

And neither do I.

We don’t have them. That’s to say, they’re not our possession. Instead, we borrow them.

We need to earn and then re-earn whatever connection / relationship they have with us.

Client retention planning

That’s why a client retention plan is critically important. Yes, delivering the best service possible is essential, but that’s what our clients expect. We retain our clients by exceeding expectations in key areas.

For example.

  • We need to engage out clients regularly. Many providers only engage with their clients when they’re working together on something or when they invoice a client. But very, very few will maintain regular contact with their clients at other times, such as sharing useful resources with them; articles, event invitations, newsletters, ideas, etc.
  • We can also connect them with useful people. Very, very few providers will proactively introduce their clients to valuable contacts.
  • And we can look for opportunities to help our clients develop their businesses. Very, very few providers will proactively recommend their clients to potentially suitable prospects.

Those are just a few examples from what I do with my clients. Obviously, you’ll need to adapt, adjust and develop your own ways to exceed expectations, depending on the services or products you provide. The key is to exceed in an appropriate, valuable way.

The solution?

I recommend you consider developing a simple, client retention plan. I’ve used them for years and they’re invaluable. Start simple. Set reminders for each client; to collect and share useful, helpful and insightful resources and connections with them. This is a powerful and proven way to go far BEYOND what’s expected, so you get the opportunity to re-earn the privilege of serving your clients.

I’ve spoken to countless hard working business owners, who have lost clients purely because of unintentional complacency. They worked hard to do everything the client expected. They genuinely believed that would be enough. They then discovered it wasn’t.

In short, without a deliberate plan to retain our clients, even the best businesses and brands can become a little complacent. And as they say, a casual approach causes casualties.

The Marketing Mentor Program: I’ll show you exactly what you need to do, step-by-step, to boost your sales, increase your profits and build the business you’ve always wanted. Then, I'll work alongside you to make it happen. Here's how it works.

<< PREVIOUS
NEXT >>

FREE marketing tips!

Get my best marketing tips and ideas delivered direct to your inbox. Simply add your email below.
I respect your privacy.

Hi! I'm Jim Connolly and I help small business owners to increase sales, boost their profits and build amazing businesses. Read more here.

Featured by

marketing advice, marketing help

Categories

  • Blogging (406)
  • Business development (465)
  • Copywriting (299)
  • Email marketing & mail shots (184)
  • General marketing (1,659)
  • Professional development (533)
  • Social media marketing (354)

Search

Recent posts

  • 7 Essentials for business success June 1, 2023
  • When was the last time you… May 30, 2023
  • Jim, why have my sales numbers dropped? May 29, 2023
  • Your future. Your choice. Own it! May 24, 2023
  • Marketing 101: Do free offers work? May 23, 2023
  • 3 Essential things you must tell your prospects May 22, 2023
  • A lesson in goal setting from Michelangelo May 21, 2023
  • It’s okay. Even Superman struggled with kryptonite May 20, 2023
  • Average regularly beats outstanding May 18, 2023
  • Your future is as bright as you think it is May 16, 2023
  • Home
  • Contact
  • About
  • Hire me

Copyright © 2023 Jim Connolly