Methods for Establishing Good Client Relationships

If you work for a firm or agency that provides consultative services, then you know quite well how important it is to have a good working relationship with your clients. With so many businesses these days providing outside support to companies of all shapes and sizes, it’s vitally important that account managers have a strong rapport with customers to ensure a long term partnership.

The following methods are simple, effortless ways that company employees can use to help foster a better connection with your business’ clients.

Be Timely with Email Responses

 

Everyone knows that work can be hectic, but it pays dividends to take the time to reply to client emails shortly after receiving them. A prompt response to an email shows the customer that you are setting their business as a priority and are eager to give them the attention they deserve. 

Should the customer email regard a task that you know you won’t be able to handle for at least some time, you should still take a moment to reply to the email and let the client know you’re working on it. This is a good way to acknowledge the customer so that they can be sure you’re listening to their requests.

Don’t Be All Business

 

Although some employees may want to get down to brass tacks immediately during meetings, it’s important that you’re not all business with your clients. Make sure to keep things light from time to time and discuss current events, sports, and other common interests. This helps you come across more as a trusted friend than a business expense.

To go a step further with this, you can also try to arrange an outing with your client. This could include a round of golf on the weekend or similar business-friendly activity. 

Use Your Calendar!

 

If you promise a client that you’ll be back in contact on by a certain day, then make sure you stick to that promise. Whether you use Microsoft Outlook or Google services, you should always make sure to schedule everything in your calendar. Doing this helps ensure that you’ll always fulfill your obligations to your clients.

Remembering client birthdays or other major events is another good way to build a strong working relationship with your clients. Send birthday well wishes or congratulations cards when a customer has a child. This level of care and interest is always appreciated by customers.

Demonstrating Your Value in an Interview

As most working adults realize, doing well in an interview is as much about showing value as it about making a good impression. However, with the modern job market being as competitive as it is, showing better value than other job candidates is often the true deciding factor in whether or not a job offer is extended. 

In order to ensure best results when interviewing, demonstrate all that you can offer to the position the company is trying to fill. The following are but a couple ways you can present value during an interview.

Customize Your Cover Letter and Resume for the Job

If you’re applying for a high profile job opening, then it is likely that the job recruiter is looking through multiple applications at once. As a result, you’ll want to make sure that your resume and cover letter stand out from those of your competitors. A survey conducted last year stated that most recruiters only look at a resume for six seconds on average. As such, it’s important to make sure those six seconds tell the recruiter everything he or she needs to know.

The best way to make your resume stand out is to personalize it towards the job you’re trying to get. Make sure that you mention in your cover letter the qualifications that make you a perfect candidate for the position, and structure your resume to include relevant past working experiences and other pertinent information. This will help show value far before the interviewing process is underway.

Answer Interview Questions with the Position in Mind

When answering questions in an interview, you will want to make sure that you respond to inquiries honestly while further displaying how you can be an asset to your potential employer. Always remember that the answers you give in an interview will help the interviewer determine whether or not you are a good fit for the position.

 

Don’t miss an opportunity to prove that you are skilled and experienced enough to do the job better than the other candidates. Make sure to reference past successes, obstacles you’ve overcome, and any other subjects that would be pertinent to the conversation. It’s fine to brag a little bit about yourself as it shows confidence, but try not to come across as arrogant.

 

By giving a little extra thought to your actions during the interview process, you’ll find that you’ll get much closer to receiving a job offer than before. Just make sure to always present yourself properly to your interviewer.

How to Take Control of Meetings

Most managers know the frustration of having to lead a team meeting when it’s clear that the participants are barely paying attention. Few moments are more irritating than looking out at a sea of faces that are either staring blankly at you or pretending like they’re not looking at their smartphones. Even when everyone appears to be attentive, few people respond to your questions or involve themselves in the discussion.

So how does a manager take control of his or her meetings? While this is a topic of constant debate for management everywhere, there are several useful methods that can be employed to make sure that your meetings are effective and your employees responsive.

#1: Plan the Meeting at a Time When It’s Convenient

Simply put, if you place your meetings at lunchtime chances are you’re going to end up with a crowd of hungry, unfocused people listening to you speak. The same goes for planning a meeting at the very end of the day when everyone just wants to go home.

In order to make sure your participants are listening to what you say and willing to participate in conversation, try holding your conferences at a time when it’s convenient for them. This can include earlier in the morning or right after lunch.

#2: Hold Meetings with a Purpose

While weekly meetings can be very useful to discussing important company milestones and hitting goals, they often aren’t used to their fullest potential. If you find yourself in a meeting where you’re padding out the dialogue to fill out the hour, then chances are you’re not using your time wisely. Meeting participants may also quickly note your lack of direction and pay less attention when you’re speaking.

Before you hold a meeting, plot out an agenda of talking points. You should always do your best to make sure you’re getting the most from everyone’s time, including your own.

#3: Involve Your Employees as Much as Possible

When one person spends the entire meeting speaking to the crowd, it’s less a discussion and more a lecture. In order to make sure that everyone is giving their full attention in meetings, you should always look at ways to involve them more in the conversation. It’s a rare occasion where everyone actively participates in a meeting, so you should design the meeting to require their involvement.

Next time you set up a meeting, try planning an activity to get people to work together. This could involve small group discussions, unveiling of side projects by employees, and other team-oriented activities.