Communication is a crucial aspect of your customer service practices. It helps you build trust, maintain transparency, and forge a friendly relationship with your customers and clients. I have this philosophy about communication with clients. If you keep your clients in the dark, they start to “MSU” <– Make shit up. (smile)
So, with that in mind, I am sharing six quick and easy tips for communicating with your clients.
- Onboard Your Clients with a Kick Off Discussion: Use this discussion to set expectations, communicate the project planning timeline, and discuss the budget. It helps you to communicate early and clearly with your new client.
- Weekly Progress Reports: Create and maintain a weekly report that you can send your clients via e-mail or your project management software. Don’t overwhelm them with a ton of details. Bullet point updates are more than likely going to be sufficient.
- Send a Quick Follow Up E-Mail to Each of Your Phone Calls: Here’s a quick tip for you: When you block 30 minutes on your calendar for a call with a client, block 40 minutes instead and use that extra ten minutes to send a follow-up email. Use that e-mail to recap what you promised you would do or to recap what you asked the client to do. You can also use it to share a link to a resource or idea.
- Follow Up when Something Goes Wrong: When a challenge occurs, be honest about your mistakes. Apologize, if necessary, then let your client know what you intend to do to make the process right.
- Pick Up the Phone: There is nothing better than a phone call. Make a phone call to check in with your clients — just to say hi or to see how they are doing. And, make a phone call if the e-mail exchange with your client feels a little tense.
- Remember to Say Thanks: When the wedding or event or the project is over, remember to say thank you. Remember that you don’t have to wait until the end to say thanks. You can send a thank you note or a small gift immediately after your client books your services or ½ way through the project.
Love and Soul Always, Kawania
Photo: Shutterstock
