6 Ways to Keep Your Clients Happier After You’ve Made the Sale

You already know selling and good service don’t stop after the sale. But how exactly do you do them in a way that genuinely supports your customer?

Think about your cell phone carrier or your cable company. Service providers like this offer great perks and prices for new customers UNTIL they become a client. Then prices imperceptibly creep upward, and service is frustrating and robotic. You’re locked into a contract, switching is maddening, and ultimately you resign yourself to endure a terrible relationship from which you cannot escape.

Use those providers as your example of what not to do – ever.

It’s imperative to reaffirm with your new client that they made the right choice. If you offer a high level of customer service from the get-go, you erase any nagging thoughts your client may have that they’ve been trapped and duped.

They’ll see that they’ve entered into a relationship with you, not merely participated in a transaction. And the former doesn’t stop at the exchange of goods and services. In fact, it has just begun.

If you follow these six excellent legitimacy builders, you won’t just be doing the right thing. You’ll create loyal customers and, in turn, see more referrals. So win-win.

Create a Comprehensive Onboarding Experience

Every piece of your onboarding package needs to be planned out. The type of communication, its tone, and the cadence should all be intentional and consistent. You are, after all, setting the tone for the entire relationship.

Introduce the people on your team and what role they will plan in the relationship. Protect their boundaries by over-explaining. It will mitigate “scope creep” and unnecessary and damaging preferential treatment.

Keep clients happy after making the sale

All this communication will establish transparency and mutual respect if you take the time to explain what you’ll do, what you won’t, and why. It demonstrates mastery and confidence. And who doesn’t want to be in a relationship with someone confident and forthcoming?

Focus on the Little Things

Personalization trumps experience every time. In many relationships, people imagine expensive will make up for lack of real understanding. Your business relationships are no different. If you take the time to listen to your clients and what’s important to them, you can establish a much more intimate connection.

Expressions of kindness do not have to be monetary. And BTW, no chatbot in the world can replace a human connection.

Spend a little extra time with a client who deserves it.
Comment on their social media post with words of encouragement.
Surprise a client with a check-in to see how they are doing
Say, “I was wrong,” rather than “I’m sorry” if things don’t go according to plan. Accepting responsibility lightens everyone’s load.
Sometimes simply listening, without rushing to solve a client’s problem, is the most respectful thing you can do.
Share an article you think the client might find helpful.

Go Above and Beyond on a Project

Exceed expectations just because. But don’t set low expectations so you can outdo them. People see through that easily. Pleasantly surprising a client by how quickly or comprehensively you solved their problem goes a long way toward cementing your competencies.

Pay Compliments. Celebrate Successes.

LinkedIn is a given, but why not take a few more minutes and send off a personal text to pay a client a compliment? Even better, create a social media post that is all about their success. Make them the center of attention.

Set Ridiculously Clear Expectations Upfront

Every minute you spend setting clear expectations will pay dividends in hours saved in the long run. It’s almost akin to getting married without any rules. Sure, the honeymoon phase will be incredible, but then the real work begins, and if there are no ground rules, it’s a disaster.

There will be times when you disagree, times when you see the world differently. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the end of the relationship. It can be an opportunity to grow together.

Continue Educating

Create insightful and robust content specifically for your existing clients. Content is not just a lead-gen tool. It needs to be a supportive and inspirational one, as well. Anticipate your clients’ challenges at every step of their customer journey and address them with content that offers solutions.

What strategies are you using in your business right now that could become a guide, a video, or an email that anticipates a client’s need?

When you solve a problem for a client, make that exchange the basis for content. It tells a great story that other clients can relate to and puts your customer in the spotlight.

Continue to help your clients solve problems, even problems they don’t know they have yet. Anticipating, then addressing those needs through targeted content, does two compelling things: It cements your inherent value. It places your client in the center of the story.

Below are two templates that will help you with initial ideation and how to get it to the most interested folks on your email list.

As with any relationship, it will not always be smooth sailing. People are fickle and sometimes quite mysterious. But if you set intentions, expectations, and boundaries, the relationship can begin on solid footing.

Throughout the relationship, nurture an empathetic attitude toward your clients by listening well and focusing on them. It will multiply the successes and soften the inevitable challenges.