Client Retention during times of Crisis

During times of crisis, emotions may be running high. Comfort and trust can be lost in a moment. Things that are out of our control could affect how interactions and relationships may or may not continue. When it comes to client retention, now more than ever, the customer experience is most important.

When you consider “Attitude”, you need to check your mindset and manage your emotions. Take a self-diagnostic and determine where your mindset is. Are you in a mindset of selling, retaining, and upselling- cross selling or in a mindset to “Help” clients through a crisis? Are you truly approaching your clients to “Help? or do you have a different motive when dealing with them? If your intentions are not right, it will show in your tonalities and body language even if you intend it to or not.

Next check the mindset of your client. Are they ready to talk business or are they still dealing with the stages of transition? People go through the stages of shock, denial, resistance, exploration, and commitment stages. Be aware of what stage the clients are in and allow them time to transition. People don’t change overnight. Listen to your clients to determine the conversations that need to be had based on their mindset.

Next consider the “Actions” that you will be taking to deepen your client retention strategy. You may need to take a pause on some of the behaviors that you once did. Consider appropriate activities to deal with the current crisis and how to connect with clients.

There are a variety of activities including:
• Touch Calls / Check Up Call
• Sharing Blog Posts, Articles, and Relevant Resources
• Saying “Thank You” for the business
• “We are Open” Messages / Business Updates
• Share Content
• Be a Connector of Resources that Client may Need
• Client Review Meetings

We should continuously be working an activity plan, a cookbook in Sandler terms, to earn the right to our customers business. Be consistent and work a plan.

Lastly consider your “Approach”, are you taking a proactive approach or being reactive. What type of value are you providing for your customers? Do you challenge the status que? Challenge your client to think about how things will be two weeks, two months and two years from now- What will be happening at that time? How can you provide solutions and value relevant to the future that they may or will be experiencing?

Reach out to customers and communicate. Poor communication can destroy the trust that you’ve worked hard to establish with your customers. Be timely, relevant, and transparent. Be honest with empathy and listen for the time when its right to have business conversations. Consider the questions clients are asking. What clues are they leaving you? Are you asking follow-up questions to seek the real issues that they bring up? Listen to the questions? Remember if one client brought it up, there may be other clients asking the same questions. Reach out to them use what best practices you have learned to share with other clients and ask how they are approaching similar situations. Build third party stories and repeat with clients and prospects.

Reaching out to clients during times of crisis will only be successful if done from the right mindset, having a consistent action plan, and communication with your customers. Set the expectations that you are here for your clients. Be willing to challenge them to be successful in what the future may hold. Client retention is a simple tool but one that most often is overlooked, focusing on them will create those long-term relationships and long-term clients.

Download you copy of the Sandler Account Retention Tool visit https://www.psta.sandler.com/Download-ClientRetentionTool 

For an additional Podcast visit- How to Succeed at Client Retention [PODCAST] https://www.psta.sandler.com/blog/how-succeed-client-retention