Build Long Term Client Relationships

It really doesn’t matter if you’re business is more transactional or has a longer opportunity cycle, building a long term relationship with your client is important. Why? Because the relationship is not just about the current deal you’re trying to close, it’s about a lifetime.

All things being equal, most people buy from someone they feel that they like. They buy from someone that makes them feel like more than the next sale. I have seen the sales and business developers that have been interested in the customer only up until the point that they sign on the dotted line, and I have seen the ones that developed and cultivated the long term relationships with their clients. Both can be successful in the short term, but my observation and professional experience has shown me that the business person (owner, sales, BD, etc.) that builds relationships with their customers will do better in the long term. Let me ask you this. When you’re the buyer, do you want to feel as though the only interest in you is getting you to buy? Like most people, I am social. So when someone develops a relationship with me I am way more likely to return to them for the next purchase. And it’s not just about the social aspect. There is the familiarity and the trust that develops too.

A growing client relationship is important. That person you’re doing business with now will not always be in that position. There is often turnover and people move to new jobs within the company, or to new companies. Just like you have a career progression in mind, so do they. Follow them. One day, perhaps, they will be in a role of greater responsibility that will enable you to provide a greater degree of support. They will remember who built a relationship on being a valued partner vice being there only to profit, and it’s always easier to do business with someone you know.

It will take work. And frankly, it won’t apply to everyone with whom you do business. But for those with whom you choose to choose to build a relationship, it will take a dedicated effort to cultivate it and maintain it. The good news is that today’s technologies make it much easier than in the past. There are a lot of social media options like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc., that enable you to follow your clients as you both progress in your careers. Use them. But not exclusively.

And that leads me to a couple of other suggestions. Every now and then pick up the phone and call. Meet them for lunch, coffee, a drink, or whatever. The social media thing makes it easy to have a relationship in short comments and ‘likes’, but that person will value it more if you take the time to personally reach out to them. Personal interaction goes much further than a ‘like’ on a social media site. There is no hard and fast rule because each person is different but my recommendation is to try to have physical contact (voice or in person) with them about 3-4 times a year at a minimum, depending upon your relationship with them. They will appreciate the effort you’re making to stay in touch. Wouldn't you?