In business, to get ahead you need to develop and nurture relationships. Contrary to popular belief, business is not about making money as much as it is about relationships. To gain relationships, it is best to have your channels of communication open. You need to be responsive to emails and phone calls, etc. You need to give reliable information to others in order to gain trust. But, what about your clients who are already on board?
Many companies just ignore their clients who are on board.
Some companies find that phone calls from existing clients are a bother. “I’m with my son, can we talk later?” Sure, we all need family time, but sometimes I feel that companies just don’t want to deal with me. Once you have signed the contract, you are just another bad habit! Relationships need to be nurtured. Treat all your clients as if they are important. But, HOW do you nurture business relationships?
Information is a valuable commodity in business.
Helpful and reliable information is particularly helpful. If you are stupid, then you might not be of much help in this department. But, for the sake of argument, let’s assume that you are smart — at least some of the time. If you have an existing client, getting work done correctly, and on time with good follow up is of primary importance. Most companies do not do this. But, then there is the icing on the cake — making suggestions about what other things the client can do!
Self-serving suggestions vs. being helpful
People will respect you and value you more if you are being helpful to them, rather than promoting your own services. If you are always looking out for the best interests of your clients, they will become very loyal to you. If they need a good accountant and you recommend someone good, you are helping them. If they need new web design and you offer that service, there is nothing wrong in recommending that. If you are solely promoting the idea that they spend more money on your services and only your services then you lose points. If you have ideas about pricing strategies for your client that might be helpful, you can mention it.
What if they are not receptive?
Not everyone is receptive to ideas — or to all ideas. Some people might like some of your suggestions some of the time. The secret is not to be too pushy. You can gently suggest ideas. If they don’t have time, or don’t like the idea, then just drop it. Your job in the universe is to help others, not to burden them with your unwanted opinions.
The most important point is to think about what your client’s needs are instead of your own. If you can do this, you will eventually get far ahead in business. This is a skill that needs constant development. Learn to nurture relationships — it pays!
You might also like:
Outsourcing is like a long-distance romantic relationship!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/09/20/outsourcing-is-like-a-long-distance-romantic-relationship/
The emailed question technique
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/08/30/a-hiring-technique-similar-to-2nd-interviews-the-emailed-question-technique/