“It won’t fail because of me”
Which is the trickiest proposition: acquiring new clients or retaining existing clients?
Both have their challenges, but most business coaches would encourage a strategy that addresses how to sell more to your existing clients; after all, the cost of acquiring them – whether it’s through advertising, or the time you’ve spent on developing a good relationship – has already been made.
But, inevitably, relationships will come to an end at some point: projects run their course, for instance; and so, with a ‘balanced score card’ approach to customers, ideally a business will pay attention to both acquisition and retention.
One important way to do this is to dig a little deeper in your ‘sales’ conversations, and determine what a customer’s pain points are. Addressing these is key to building trust and offering value.
Here’s how you can help them effectively:
Identify Their Pain Points:
Listen carefully to understand their challenges, frustrations, and goals. These could be related to cost, efficiency, scalability, or time management.
Empathize with Their Situation:
Show genuine understanding of their struggles. Empathy helps build a stronger connection and shows that you are aligned with their needs.
Offer Tailored Solutions:
Present solutions that directly address their specific pain points. Be as specific as possible, linking features of your product or service to their challenges.
Provide Evidence and Results:
Share case studies, testimonials, or data that demonstrate how your solution has helped others with similar problems.
Simplify the Process:
Remove complexity from the decision-making process. Offer easy-to-understand pricing and a clear implementation plan.
Stay Engaged:
Follow up to ensure they’re seeing results and address any new pain points that arise. Long-term engagement builds trust and demonstrates your commitment to their success.
Reliability and simplicity for your client is the key.
[Picture shows an example of me delivering ‘a reliable and simple service’ to a client, in a different context, but still working within a team… As a Coast Guard rescue boat crew member, one of my jobs is to attach the towing bridle, secured by a single Bowline knot. It’s just one knot, in one length of rope, but done properly it’s capable of withstanding the pull exerted on it by a 10-tonne boat.]
