It’s every agency’s dream to have a robust and happy client base that grows with them. The reality is that client retention is a real struggle for many agencies, who lose clients to big promises and greener pastures. Not only is the process of turning a lead into a customer a challenging one, but a costly one at that. Recruiting new customers costs five times as much* as retaining your current ones. To help you, we have created a guide with four basic principles to help you retain your clients.
Principle 1: Develop a Personal Relationship
It goes without saying that building a relationship with each one of your clients is paramount to the success of your partnership. Building that foundation and nurturing a personal connection can help your client see you as more than a service, making it all the harder to part ways. The best way to do this is to assign one person as the main contact. As their main contact, one of their most important responsibilities is to get on calls with the client, getting to know them both in a personal and professional manner. They also become the point person for the client, should they have any questions or concerns.
Principle 2: Set Boundaries
Now that you have established a relationship with your client, your next step should be setting clear expectations for both sides to follow. A clear agreement on what tasks you’ll perform for your client will go a long way in preventing miscommunication down the line. This is also the time to define how you’ll communicate going forward, rules for revisions and all other requests. Although the relationship is still new, don’t be afraid to be specific. Keeping things vague could result in your client wanting you to perform tasks that are outside of your agreement, which could lead to tension. Setting expectations ensures that both parties know what is going on and disappointment is avoided. The longer you work with clients, the more understanding you’ll have regarding the types of tasks they would want you to do. If you are unsure where to even begin, here are some examples of questions to ask before your boundaries are set:
- Do you want us to find images for your content?
- Do you want us to upload content to your site?
- Do you want us to optimize for SEO and research keywords?
Just because expectations have been set, doesn’t mean that you aren’t allowed to accept one-off requests. It helps you maintain boundaries with your client so that you aren’t devoting more time than you had budgeted for.
Principle 3: Adapt When Needed
Most marketers have been in the business long enough that they have developed a method when it comes to working with clients. Like a well-oiled machine, you probably have your processes down to a science. It becomes second nature to hold each client to the same rules of communication, especially because you are managing so many different types of clients. But it is because of that very reason that you need to be able to adapt. Each client is different and comes with their own unique set of pain points that need to be addressed. This is why building a relationship and maintaining a sense of fluidity is key, as it gives you an opportunity to take note of any challenges, present, and future. You shouldn’t force clients to adapt to you, you should adapt to them.
Principle 4: Always Upsell
Marketing is a field that is always evolving, which is good and bad. It’s good because as new technology emerges we are able to learn even more about potential customers and their behaviors, but bad because there will become a point where the services of an agency are largely obsolete. We’re not quite at that point yet, but if you want your clients to work with you in the long run, encouraging them to keep investing in your services is the way to go. Here are a few ways to upsell your current offerings:
- Pay Attention: Knowing the ins and outs of a client and their needs is beneficial in the long run. If you notice that they are not as efficient as they need to be, this is your chance to offer your platform that automates tasks. They will appreciate you looking out for them and will be impressed by their new upgrade.
- Provide a Variety of Services: It is unlikely that your agency only provides one service, and if it does it might be time to reconsider. There are likely many related services that can be grouped together into different packages, and offering a variety will entice your clients into signing up for services they may not have previously considered.
- Offer Discounts: If your clients are on the fence about some of the other tools that you offer, presenting them with a discount is a surefire way to tempt them to test it out. If they like it, offer a further discount for signing a contract.
If you are having trouble with client retention and would like to learn more, click on the banner below to schedule your free 30-minute consultation with us today.
