The trouble with some people is, they assume that their clients are all boring, dull and have no sense of humor. Isn't it strange how most companies seem to have a charisma bypass when it comes to communicating with their clients. Which would you rather have, A client? Or, a friend who is also a client? A friend of course. Well, to have more friends in your business, you must do more friendly things.

Actually, it's all about the human touch. Something that's often missing in our business dealings today. Your clients are all human beings who have a wife or husband, kids who don't listen, a mortgage that's too big, a house that's too small, a swimming pool that needs cleaning and a garden that needs weeding. They are concerned about their health, they like to laugh, eat out, go to the movies and want to be happy just like you.

The more you treat your clients as friends, the more they'll talk about you and want to do business with you. You spend more time at work than at home. So make it fun and deal with clients as if they were your friends. They will be your friends if you do the following:

Send Birthday Letters- Everyone likes to be remembered on their birthday. Personal birthday letters are the easiest to implement. Why not send a little gift? Maybe a gift certificate to a restaurant (The restaurant should give you the gift certificate for free or at a 60 percent discount since it introduces a new customer to them at no cost. Or a couple of movie tickets or whatever.

Make regular "How's everything going" calls- Pick up the phone for 15 minutes each day and call a client for no other reason than to say. "Hi, I just called to see how things are going." When was the last time you called your clients when you didn't have to. Your clients will appreciate that you are thinking of them. It makes them feel that you really care. Do this regularly and, you'll have so much business you won't know what to do with it.

Send out a small box of candy- Include a bag of candy with your next order together with a handwritten note that says, "I thought you may like these, they are my favorites." Or instruct your staff to include them with every job or delivery you do. Attach a little note saying, "Here's a little something for you to enjoy." You will not believe the impact this will have on how people remember you and your business. When your clients talk about you, they'll know you're the one who sends that great box of candy.

Give unexpected gifts- If you find an article, a book, an audio cassette, or anything else your clients may be interested in, send them a copy with a note saying, "I thought you'd enjoy this. I just finished reading it and it's got some interesting ideas." If you buy large quantities of books, audio-tapes, reports, etc., you'll find the price you pay is reasonable and the goodwill it creates large. Invest in educating your clients, and they'll give you more business.

Send Christmas messages with a difference- Your Christmas card will get lost with dozens of others unless you do something different. Something that will make your clients talk about it and about you. It's far easier to create a conversation piece by sending a letter with a candy cane and a bit of Christmas tinsel than to do what everyone does. Or you could send an inexpensive card and take the dollar you save and tape it to the card with these words: "Here's something you can give to your favorite charity or make a small child happy." That's sure to get more attention.

Send lots of Thank You letters- Thank your clients for everything. Especially for paying their bills on time. Thank them for referring people to you, thank them for coming to see you, thank them for giving you their business. What you reward is what you'll get more of. So reward your clients by thanking them often. When's the last time someone thanked you for spending your money with them.

Make Thank You phone calls- As a variation to the Thank You letter, you or your staff can also pick up the phone and thank your clients in person. "Hi we really appreciate it. Just wanted to say thank you for taking care of your account so promptly."

Give your clients recognition- Get photos of your clients at their business along with a written testimonial about the results and benefits they received by using your services. Put these on your reception and office walls. They'll be flattered, and they'll talk to their friends about it. How do you get them to agree? Say... "I'd like to get a photo of you and your business along with a testimonial if possible. I'd like put them up in our reception area where people can see them and promote your business at the same time." Who can refuse free promotion of their business?

Let your clients in on how you do things- The next time a client visits your place of business, show them around. Explain to them what the various people in your company do. When presenting a bill or a quote to a client, itemize what you did. Make sure you explain why the bill is what it is. You'll find that if you justify your bill to the client with a good explanation, reasons why, you won't have problems with unhappy clients who will go elsewhere.

Educate your clients- The more you educate your clients through seminars, newsletters, reports, books and in your letters, the more they'll want to do business with you. The reason is, you're showing them that you're knowledgeable and good at what you do. The more highly they think of you, the more they'll trust your advice and service.

Ask your clients for feedback on your performance- The best way to continually improve is to send out Client Feedback forms every 6 to 12 months. For the most useful feedback, simply ask these questions; How can we improve our service to you? What else can we do to help you in your business? What do you like the best about our service? What do you like the least?

These answers will help you focus on areas of interest to your clients and give you valuable feedback on what you should be doing to improve your service. Remember, client perception is a reality. You may think you're doing a great job. However, if your clients don't agree, you'll have to change or you will lose them.

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