The opinions expressed by Entrepreneur authors are their very own.
I work in public relations, and at last count there are greater than other PR corporations in United States. Many of them compete with my agency in the five principal cities where I operate. However, my scores consistently rank among the highest in these cities—Nashville, for example.
Is it because I know my industry higher than my competitors? Because I get more placements for my clients? Because my team is more talented or my network is more expansive? While I’d like to think I’m a leader based solely on the quality of my services and the effectiveness of my methods, I’m much more likely to earn rave reviews and generate referrals from my clients thanks to two words: personalized attention.
More specifically, my team and I strive to create exceptional customer support at my company, because over the years of running my very own business I have learned that the most significant impression is the customer’s impression of you – that is what informs everyone else about the relationship with customers, drives all other customer decisions and determines whether or not they stay with you or not (even greater than short-term results).
Even in the digital age all of us live in, with so many automated tasks and productivity tools in our workplaces, personalizing your skilled is a surefire way to retain and satisfy your customers. Here are five practices I exploit frequently to make the most positive impression on my clients.
1. Obtain a copy of your client’s organizational chart
When you understand the structure of your client’s business, you’ll understand who does what, who reports to whom, and due to this fact, you know who to contact and why. Not only is this a huge time saver – for example, not filling people’s inboxes unnecessarily with work that does not concern them – but your clients will even appreciate that you have done your homework when it comes to staffing them.
It’s much more impressive to send a note saying, “Would your team like to see this before we send it to Jeremy?” or “I believe Bettina has final approval here” quite than “Are you the right person to contact about this?” And note the use of real names here – learning the names of everyone you may be working with will put you in first place earlier than you think!
2. Use proper grammar and punctuation
Make sure all communications with your client – and more importantly, all communications you prepare on their behalf – are written accurately. Yes, eliminating errors requires additional work. Still, it’s absolutely value the effort when you think about how much one typo can damage an entire project (ever see “public” as a substitute of “public”?) and how badly bad grammar can impact the quality of the results, the level of education, and the attraction of the intended audience.
While it might be true that language standards are declining in America, that does not imply that no one notices shoddy copy quality. Some people still notice and care. If your client is one of these, you may earn extra points by knowing the difference between “compliment” and “complementary” by not allowing “San Antonio Riverwalk” and “San Antonio River Walk” to be posted at the same time. Use the grammar checker. Always check your spelling. Re-read every thing you create. And if you do not have a language specialist to function your in-house proofreader, hire an inexpensive one freelancer who can ensure quick turnaround times.
3. Select video as a substitute of audio
If possible, schedule video calls and video conference meetings as a substitute of phone calls and telephone meetings. The time and era of in-person meetings is quickly becoming a thing of the past. However, nothing can replace face-to-face interaction, eye contact, observing facial expressions and showing the customer with every nod of the head and raise of the eyebrow that you just are following what they are saying and being attentive to the conversation.
During the pandemic, maintaining one-on-one relationships via Zoom and Teams has change into the latest norm, and most individuals are blissful to keep it that way! Interacting via a screen as a substitute of a conference table is simply more convenient, time-saving and environmentally friendly. However, we cannot afford to lose the “one-on-one interaction” part of a business relationship. Remember the old Bell promoting slogan? Well, video is the modern equivalent of “the next best thing to being there,” so use your camera as often as possible to “see” your customers, not only talk to them.
4. Mark your calendar!
Note down birthdays, business anniversaries, due dates. Keep records of essential meetings and your client’s attendance at conferences. On as of late, send a text or email from person to person. The more specific the higher, e.g., “I hope your Jersey Coffee showcase went well and there wasn’t too much traffic on the Parkway!” Or “Congratulations on baby Elliot. That was my grandfather’s name, and I hope it will serve your newborn son as well as it did him.”
Combining the personal with the skilled, which is the pillar of my very own approach in my companycustomers value your role more because you actively strive to change into a part of their lives, not only an addition to their business. In other words, when you add a personal touch to your communications and conversations, your clients won’t give you the chance to help but think of you on a more human level, quite than simply a skilled contact with whom they will easily sever ties.
5. Maintain a boundary between personal and skilled life, but use each – often
On a related but separate note: While I say to weave personal connections into your each day interactions with your clients, you never, ever want to go too far. You can use humor, but not offbeat humor. You can show vulnerability, but you do not need to appear weak or indecisive. It’s okay to ask questions and admit what you do not know, but be strategic (do not be lazy) by trying to solve problems yourself before taking them to customers. And be yourself, absolutely all the time be authentically yourself, but don’t reveal too much that you just cross the line into over-intimacy or inappropriate disclosure.
By elevating customer interactions with personal touches while maintaining appropriate decorum, you’ll add a personal face to your organization name. And this name will leave a greater mark on your customers thanks to your skillful balance between personal and skilled life.
Part of making a meaningful impression on your customers is consciously putting your best face forward every day, in every way. Don’t allow them to see the messy office behind you on Zoom, but if needed, allow them to vent for 10 minutes about your child’s tonsillitis. Don’t badmouth other customers or point fingers at them when something goes improper, but get to know them well enough that you will need to grab a drink next time you are in town.
Take every opportunity you may to show your clients – and then remind them often – that “living a normal life” for you means being prepared (like learning an organizational chart), creating high-quality results (proven), planning directly to face meetings, observe special occasions in their lives and share your authentic self, who seems to be a multi-faceted, wonderful human being with flaws, in addition to a total skilled and a true pro at what you do!