What is the best way to nurture clients?
In sales, what's the best way to nurture clients? I've read about different software and in-person tactics. Is nurturing through software or in-person better? Or should I do both? What do you think? Please share any experience you have had with either type of method. Thanks!
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Sep 5, 2014
From what I've seen, it always start with in-person tactics. It does necessarily have to be eye-to-eye, but it's a phase of establishing mutual trust between seller and buyer. From that point, customers often seem to be fine with being able to interact with your company on their own terms (your website, your online support, login to your customer portal, etc.).
Of course it depends on the complexity of the product / service we're selling, but there's is an enormous amount of learning from customers that must take place during the initial phases. From that point, I believe in finding methods to empower your customers to find the information they need on their own.
If we can automate a good portion of the simpler customer inquiries, it opens up time for more in-person meetings.
Aug 28, 2014
Can't agree more with what has been already said. I personally would go for a good mix. For example, if you have good relationships with your clients then adding their birthdays and holiday greetings to an automated solution will work wonders. And you don't need to worry about forgetting a birthday or anniversary. This will go a long way if you plan this ahead for the year. However picking up the phone or visiting former customers or current ones will still have a bigger and more positive impact on your business. If you have really good customers who are buying regularly from you then you could even add a gift basket, a free cinema visit or dinner for 2 etc as a thank you for special anniversaries or birthdays. And hand delivering them will definitely have a great impact and makes you stand out. Just my 5 cents.
Aug 6, 2014
Richard Stern
1. Suggest implementing CRM
2. Offer discounts and premiums
3. Test new products for free
4. Offer volume order incentives
Aug 6, 2014
Dear Rob,
Do both. But personal is always better. Give, give, give and then ask if they want to buy something or something in addition to the first buy.
Your customers are key. If you mean your paying customers. They spread the word. So after you sold something, the work begins, it never stops. You give a lot. Start #askrobmclaughlin and answer each questions they have for free. After a while you can sell something else to them. Through this they will sell you to their relationships.
What is you expertise area?
Study each day. Become better each day. Spread you knowledge in any way you can. Work 14 hours a day. make sure to stay healthy, eat less, eat better, meditate, exercise, drink lots of water, drink lukewarm warm with fresh pressed lemon and so on. This will keep you going. And use Twitter, get to know your customers even better. If they are not on twitter dive into other Social Networks. That's were you need to be. All the information about your customers is there. Use it.
Awesome greetings,
Paul Ricken
http://bit.ly/1qR7epk awesome products
Aug 6, 2014
This sounds totally corny, but the best way I've found to nurture clients is to sincerely have their best interests at heart. I really like my clients and want them to succeed. I become aware of their challenges and opportunities and seek out any information that will help them. For instance, when I get a new or potential client, I scour news and sign up for appropriate Google Alerts so I can relay to them immediately any time their company is mentioned. They really appreciate this. Other hands on: I respond to emails instantly and am always pleasant. I also send hand-written holiday cards and thank you notes. This is on top of regular email marketing, which is also extremely effective if you target your mailing list correctly.
Jul 31, 2014
Lifecycle Marketing http://www.infusionsoft.com/lifecycle-marketing-workshop through software with human touch when needed for personal touches. Done well, you can make the client feel like they are interacting with a real person and not a software.
Would love to hear the medical idea you have in mind!
Jul 31, 2014
The client is the life blood of your business. I would make sure you do all the following, some in person and some thorough other means, such as, email, text, etc.
1.Know why they became your client and show them respect. Most client's want a relationship with someone they trust.
2.Be timely and respond to them when they call
3.Schedule times you plan to reach out and touch your clients.
4.Recognize their Birthday, Anniversary and their achievements via a telephone call or mail. This includes their family.
5. Invite them to an event, a networking meeting, presentation they may have an interest in, ball game or golf outing.
6. Make sure and this is the most important. Deliver the caliber of the work you promised them.
7. Consider doing client events that are fun.
We do an Antique Roadshow each year. The only requirement is for the client to bring a guest, so we can introduce them to our firm.
Make it fun, informative or of interest to the client and be sincere. If you treat them well and let them know you care, they are your clients for life. If you treat them like a customer, they will be your competitors client tomorrow.
Jul 31, 2014
What a great question! Twofold answer.
The hardware you are referring to I am going to assume is some form of a CRM like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamic. The hardware does nothing but track and record the data that you, yes you personally input. Some tasks can be automated like sending out a mass newsletter or email announcement, but it still requires input on your part to maintain the metrics and tracking.
Besides, the word Nurture in and of itself implies human connection and contact. So in managing a client relationship you have a number of different tools you can use to reach out and touch a client. I propose the best nurturing occurs person to person.
Give some thought to understanding the DISC profile of your customers. Do they process their world and speak in Visual, Auditory or Feeling words? What is their preferred style for communicating and receiving information?
Jul 31, 2014
Great question! A commonly neglected practice that yields great results!
Sending surveys is a good idea. Upsell and cross sell offers can be good too. But, what I find is the greatest missed opportunity is to share tips, tricks and advice on how to use and benefit from the products they've already purchased.
Most important - automate it. Use an automated email campaign to be sure you're staying in touch with clients, even when you don't have time.
Jul 31, 2014
If your have the confidence to meet face to face - this would be better option. It allows you to meet the client and team, understand their requirements and form a working partnership for future projects. You could go down other routes, yet you may not get such a insightful opportunity to know their business better.
Jul 31, 2014
To nurture new clients make sure that you understand their needs...and wants and let them see that you are working for them. After sales dont be scared to ask for feedback as this shows that you value what the client thinks. As for the best medium? I would agree with other contributors that personal contact is still the best. If using software it is vital that it is kept up to date and clients receive a reply quickly to any emails. In this age of "emails" it is easy for your client to lose your email...they will not forget your call.
John
Jul 30, 2014
Identify the customers needs
Adapt your tender without extending it for each of them
Sign a contract because it might oblige investments that must be paid back
Develop the partnership.
Jul 30, 2014
The best way is to stay in touch with your clients.It can be via phone calls,social networking sites,e mails etc.
Jul 30, 2014
It can be of different ways but I think the best way to make your client feel that you care about him & you are concern about your services which reflects positively the personnel relations with them .You may choose the way of contact with them according to your convenience or to them .
Jul 30, 2014
What's the best way to nurture clients?
Through follow-up not only on your product or service but be sincere about finding out how things are with their business.
Is nurturing through software or in-person better?
Definitely both, nevertheless I wouldn't treat every client the same, everyone has a preferred communication style so find the communication style they enjoy most.
Jul 30, 2014
If they are already clients and you don't know enough about them already then you had better get to face to face meetings before you loose them. Have spent years cultivating some clients in previous jobs just dropping past their office to see if they needed anything. Got everything one day and the client said knew that would make you smile. Being genuine is the best thing you can be and making sure you under promise and over deliver.
Jul 30, 2014
Account Management is a skilled role and needs a mixture of different communication means.
In answering this question I am assuming this is a B2B query,
The key is to put in place an account development plan which should be shared with and agreed by the client. This could include tactics and strategies to grow the account and planned outcomes and targets to achieve, Ideally include an incentive for the client company (overrides/increased discounts etc) in return for increased revenue/sales.
Jul 30, 2014
The best campaigns I've seen are a combination of personal and automation.
Non-responsive prospects should be placed into an automated follow-up email campaign whenever possible, with an occasional attempt to reach them by phone again through the life of the email campaign. The emails should sound as genuine as possible. You'd be surprised at the number of people that think they are directly from you if you spend them time to right them from the heart.
Responsive prospects should always be personally followed up by their chosen contact method and as Becky Gerardis stated in her answer, ALWAYS have a premise for the contact other than, "Touching Base". And please don't use the word "just". The weakest but most common line I hear from trainees is "I'm just calling to touch base with you..." Your follow up calls are meant to maintain and grow rapport and trust. If you make the contact attempt feel like a task you needed to accomplish, I promise your sales will suffer.
Contact me for more information
Kindest Regards,
Jul 30, 2014
I believe it really depends on your industry. Through software, monthly touch points are usually enough to keep you top of mind without being annoying.
However, at the end of the day in-person is always better in my opinion. I find to many individuals in sales that hide behind their computers and become lazy after they land a new client. Customer retention is as or more important...and visiting in-person can go a long way.
Jul 30, 2014
You firstly need to establish What the Client wants.
Once you have done this you can then tailor how you offer the solutions.
Be aware that it dangerous to assume anything. If you're not sure ask.
You will then know what the Client expects and when you deliver it, they'll be
delighted.