Category: Professional Development

The better service you provide your clients, the more likely they’ll be to remain loyal to you and your business. Not only does this mean you’ll have their business for longer, but it also means they’ll be willing to refer your company to their family, friends, and peers.

A huge part of providing your clients with great customer service is having the desire to make them happy. For this reason, you have to consider their experience with your business as a whole. It isn’t only about the face to face interactions you have, though that’s a big part of their impression of you — rather, it’s about how they are dealt with online, whether it be through email or even how they experience your website, as well as on the phone. Be sure to have measures in place so that your clients never face frustration when dealing with your company, whether that be by making sure your staff is well trained and equipped to handle various problems, or checking that your website is up-to-date and user friendly.

The first thing your client should see when they ask you for help is a smile. That shows them you’re willing to understand and solve their problem — which is why they hired you in the first place. Having a smile on your face during an in-person meeting is essential, but so is smiling when you’re having a similar conversation on the phone. It’s easy to pick up on how a person is feeling when you can’t see them by the tone of their voice, so make sure you’re understanding and ready to tackle the challenge they’ve presented you with.

Another obvious, but easily forgotten courtesy is saying thank you. Of course, you deserve to get paid for your hard work, but your client should know just how much you appreciate their business. Additionally, you should always show your clients respect and guard your emotions, even if you’re upset about the way something has unfolded. There are proper ways you can handle altercations — don’t say something in the heat of the moment that you’ll regret later.

Finally, the easiest way to retain a client is by knowing what your business has to offer. As long as you and your staff know your team’s strengths, and you can give your clients examples of how you can use those strengths to help them, you’ll be able to retain customers and even get new business.

We’re surrounded by people in different industries who are successful because of the way they approach certain situations. There’s a lot we can learn from the leaders in our lives who are successful, and here are some ideas we can implement to help increase our level of success.

Successful people…

1. Keep their eyes on the big picture.

It’s hard to concentrate on the big picture when things go wrong and there are fires to put out. The little things don’t matter though, and focusing on them too much, especially the negative things, will make it harder to achieve your main goals. Let the little things go and instead, spend time, energy, and resources on what really matters.

2. Know they can’t please everyone.

Making everyone happy is impossible, so there’s no use in trying. Live a more purposeful life by not being afraid of to call the shots, even when some decisions will make some people on the team unhappy.

3. Don’t go back to things that haven’t worked out.

Whether it’s a project or a relationship, if something didn’t work out the first time, unless the necessary changes are made, don’t expect to see great results if you pursue it again a second time.

4. Don’t chase other people’s dreams.

It’s natural to see another successful person and to want to mirror their accomplishments. However, remember that dreams and goals have to be personal: “Don’t let the allure of someone else’s dream derail you from discovering yours.”

Working closely with a team has its ups and downs. It can be great to have people to bounce ideas off of and to work with on projects, but at the same time, there may be days when your productivity decreases due to someone else not pulling their weight.

It happens all the time, and it’s not always because your coworkers are lazy — sometimes they just have too much on their plate at once. You may be wondering how, if you see someone on your team struggling, you can offer your help without taking the task over completely and having to do their work on top of what’s been assigned to you. Here’s how you can find that balance:

1. Keep doing your best.

Mediocrity might seem like an easy way to avoid having other people approach you for help, but don’t be fooled. Not only will you be preventing yourself from reaching your fullest potential, which could turn into a bad habit in the long run, but you could also put your job at risk. Never compromise on the kind of work you do!

2. Make expectations clear.

It’s good to be a leader, but pushing yourself to always take charge may put the idea in your coworker’s minds that you’re the person who will always cover for them if they’re falling behind. It’s best to work with your team to figure certain parts of the project rather than calling the shots yourself. If your performance is being affected by the lack of cooperation on the team though, it may be time to alert your supervisor, and maybe under their guidance you can take a little bit more of a leadership role on the project.

3. Be confident in your abilities.

We sometimes take on more than we can handle because we’re worried that our performance isn’t “good enough.” If you know that you’re submitting your best work, allow yourself to be proud of what you’ve accomplished and remind yourself that if you’re impressed with the work you’ve done, that’s all that matters. You don’t have to take on someone else’s workload to prove your worth!

First impressions can really work to your advantage. At the same time, however, the fact that it only takes a few minutes for someone to decide whether or not they like you could hurt your businesses’ reputation.

Imagine that you’re having lunch with a client when one of their friends walks into the restaurant. Your client immediately starts trying to get their attention, and when they come over to your table, you realize that this could be a business opportunity.

The way that you present yourself in these next few minutes is all that matters. You’ll either end up catching the potential client’s attention, or you’ll fade into the background and they won’t remember having met you. Even worse, they could read you in a way that will make them turn other potential clients away from you as well.

If a first impression has the potential to be a lasting impression, how can you make sure that it will be in your favor? Consider these suggestions:

1. Always dress to impress. One of the first things someone will notice about you is the way that you look and how clean you are. If you’re dressed super casually, a potential client may assume that you don’t take things seriously.
2. Smile, even if you’re caught off-guard. Smiling at someone makes them feel comfortable with you, and most people would rather work with a company that, when it comes down to it, has a happy and understanding employee or leader rather than a bored and unsatisfied one.
3. Impressing others means it’s not all about you. Though you want to gain a client, you don’t have to do so by talking their ear off. Encouraging others to talk more may make them like you.
4. Avoid talking business straight away. If you jump right into talking business, you may come off as abrasive and otherwise uninterested in the person you’re speaking with. Take some time to get to know the potential client, and even if you’ll be having a short conversation, they’ll likely ask you what you do, which is when you can explain the services your company provides. Taking this approach will make it easier for you to tailor your elevator speech to their needs.
5. Be conscious of your body language. If you’re avoiding eye contact with someone that you’ve just met, they may find it more difficult to trust you. Similarly, if you’ve got your arms crossed over your chest, your demeanor could suggest that you you don’t like the person in front of you, which could cause problems down the line.

Do you have any tips on making a good first impression? We’d love to hear from you! Be sure to leave a comment below and share the blog on social media.