You Should Date Your Clients

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This is the last in a series on how to make more money with your existing business. But before I get into it, I really want to thank Brazen Careerist for featuring two articles from the series, Skills Vs. Passion and Why You Need Referrals More Than You Think. If you haven’t become part of Brazen Careerist, you need to. It’s a great way to network with a variety of entrepreneurs that are at varying stages in their careers.

This article has taken a little longer to publish because I’m afraid it is common sense. However, rarely do I see it put into practice – even with my own business on occasion.

The point of the post is that you need to be valuable.  Value is present in every stage in your relationship with clients. The practice of conveying value, however, is very different in each phase.

The Courting Phase

Although it may seem juvenile, I think dating and business relationships are very similar. First, just as in courtship, you approach a client or a client approaches you to develop a relationship. Often there is rejection, but once in a while the invitation is accepted and a dialogue begins.

In this exchange, the only thing that matters is how the other person is going to benefit from the relationship. People do not form relationships with the knowledge that the other person will make their life worse. This is no different in business.

The problem is, most business owners fail to convey their value.  (I touched on this in the first part of the series by suggesting the differences between benefits and features).  If you can succinctly communicate how your product or service will improve your client’s condition, you’ve won.

Here is a general example on how I convey value to potential clients through Pro Sulum:

• Most small and medium-sized business owners don’t view IT as a major business consideration.  That being the case, they often hire retail IT services or independent computer and network installation companies to set up their IT infrastructure, often without a plan for future scalability.
• As they grow they are unable to handle larger customers, or a greater quantity of clients because they lack the tools and scalable infrastructure.  This means that they need to spend considerably more on IT, or staff, or subcontract the extra work out.
• By hiring a business and IT consultant that has future business expansion in mind, the client will save a tremendous amount of money during their growth, and they will be able to take on higher quality clients, as well as a larger quantity of clients without necessarily having to hire more staff or subcontract.

This, of course, changes on the client’s need.

The most important thing you can do during this phase is LISTEN!  You should be asking the client about their business and develop clear and measurable success metrics.  In other words, find out why they need you and where they want their business to be when you are done.  This is vital.  Not only does it help you when you are actually executing work, it also builds your value – and is a major part of the value-based pricing model.

Going Steady

Contracts are signed, and work has begun.  Although it seems obvious, value is still an issue.  However, it has changed from purely communicative in nature, to demonstrative as well.  Your client expects to see results, and to know when to expect them.  It is your job to execute, but to also hold your clients hand and reassure them throughout the process.  Just like when you are going steady with someone, it is not enough to give gifts and flowers, you also have to communicate and continue to build the relationship.  That means explaining why things are going well, or why things have not worked.

On one occasion, I was helping a client with a backup solution.  Typically a job like this would have taken a few hours, but because of the way their network was set up it ended up taking two weeks.  Was the client mad?  No, because I made sure to communicate the situation to them.  In fact, it made me even more valuable in their eyes.

When It’s time to Part Ways

All good things must come to an end, but if you did your part, it should not be something to be sad about.  Eventually you will outgrow your client base.  By that time, you should have delivered such tremendous value to your client that you now have an advocate singing your praises to everyone that they know.  Don’t hesitate to keep in contact with them, and ask them for referrals.  If you did a great job they will have no problem referring new leads.  Don’t let your relationship go stale.  You never know when you’ll end up working together on future projects.