It’s that time of year again—all of the leaves have fallen from the trees, the temperature has dropped, and the calendar is filling up with holiday parties, ski trips, and family gatherings. Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season, the time of year when we reflect on the relationships we have with family, friends, clients, and co-workers. Thanksgiving in particular is a time to give thanks and show your appreciation.
Don't hesitate to pick up the phone and check in on clients
This Thanksgiving I’d like to share a few ways you can show clients your appreciation not only this week, but year round:
1. Keep the spark in your relationship alive. Too often we start a large engagement with lots of energy and activity only to have it fizzle out. We start by constantly going to the client’s office, talking with them on the phone, asking questions, getting input, and collaborating. The client is excited about the new project, and they are ready for progress. Over time, however, the enthusiasm fades. It’s not that the project becomes any less important; it is simply less “new.”
To keep the spark alive in your client relationships, make your clients feel special and cared for year round. Regularly take clients to lunch or to a sporting event. Send articles or other content that can help them in their roles or situations. Talk to them frequently “off-the-clock.” Doing so shows your clients that you are thinking about them and that you are engaged in the relationships, making your clients more inclined to be engaged in the relationship.
2. Always remain one step ahead of your client. If your client comes to you about your project, asking where you are with this or that piece, you’re in trouble. You must constantly think about what’s next for the client and their business. More than that, let the client know you’ve been thinking about them. Call a meeting out of the blue because you have additional recommendations for the project or a new way of doing something that they may not have thought of.
One small consulting firm I know conducts weekly client meetings during which they talk about each client, sharing the client’s situation and brainstorming ideas to better the project. After these meetings, the client manager brings the ideas to the client. This firm is able to tap into the collective brainpower of the firm while educating the entire firm on current projects, adding huge value to the client. A real win/win.
3. Get to know your client’s business. Get to know your clients’ clients, their colleagues, their business associates, etc. Whom does your client report to? What associations do they belong to? What are the emerging trends in their industry? What drives their business? What pressing challenges do they face?
Having in-depth knowledge of your client’s business beyond the service area you are helping them with allows you to not only have a better understanding of how your project fits into the grander scheme of things, but it allows you to uncover other areas in which you—or someone you know—may be able to help. You go beyond being a vendor to being a trusted business advisor, something all professional services providers strive to be.
Building strong, long-lasting relationships takes time and doesn’t just involve saying thank you once a year. You have to work at it throughout the year and constantly ask, “What’s best for my client?” and “What have I done to show my client extra love lately?”
