Check In To Stay In Touch by Cindy Stradling CSL, CPC

As a business, staying in touch with your clients and customers is an increasingly important part of creating loyalty and trust. Clients of any type, including B2B, B2C, or B2G, are more likely to continue to work with another business that treats them like a valued client and not just a place to make a sale.  

Checking in with a client to stay in touch and not specifically to make a sale or introduce a new product is an important part of building the relationship. It creates a sense of value for your customers and clients, and it also shows your business cares about people.

CRMs make it easy to keep track of important points about customers and clients. For small business owners and startups, a notebook with human interest facts about clients is a handy tool that is easy to convert to a CRM when needed.

Some of the best ways to check in with your customers and clients include:

• A note of thanks – after a purchase, send a handwritten note of thanks. While cards in the mail are not expected by most customers and clients, they show a level of personalized care and attention that is impossible to duplicate through a text message or email. In today’s world of massive lists and email blasts, this is a way to stand out.
  

• Tips and helpful strategies text messages – text messages that offer tips, trick, strategies, motivating messages, or other types of benefits to your clients and customers are also a great option. Just make sure your clients opt-in and have a way to opt-out. Keep these texts to just a few a month to avoid overload.
  

• Host a free webinar – free webinars that highlight a problem for your clients are a great value-added way to stay in touch. Have an industry expert provide a short presentation and provide time to network – either virtually or in person.
  

• Stay connected on social media – comments on posts or sending relevant information to a customer through social media is a great way to show you are thinking about their problems or challenges even when you are not on a sales call. Be judicious and always look for quality posts, articles, or other professionals to introduce that provide a benefit to your client.
  

• Reach out on special days – business openings, achievements of the client or the client’s business, birthdays, awards, or other types of special events are an ideal time to send a personalized email, card, or text. Consider adding in a small gift card or something more than just a basic card, email, or text.
  

• Business meetings – with the pandemic, it is has been difficult or sometimes impossible to meet in person. As it becomes safe and feasible to meet in person, consider meeting to rebuild the relationship. This could include taking top clients to lunch or dinner to recognize their support of your business in the past.
  

The personal touch is what makes checking in such an important way to value your clients. Make this just about them, avoid sales or promotional discussions for this meeting.