Effective Client Retention Strategies | MM#142

In this episode, Jessie and Angela discuss strategies for client retention, emphasizing the importance of building and maintaining strong customer relationships. They outline several key tactics, including personalized service, loyalty programs, and regular communication with clients. The conversation highlights the significance of understanding customer needs and preferences to tailor services and offers accordingly. It also touches on the use of feedback to improve and innovate, as well as the critical role of customer satisfaction in fostering loyalty and repeat business. Jessie and Angela underscore that client retention is not just about the initial sale but involves a continuous effort to keep customers engaged and satisfied, ultimately leading to a loyal client base that supports the business over time.

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Jessie & Angela

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Transcript

00:00.00
jessievalle
Hello friends today we are going to be discussing client retention and what to do with clients or customers once they are already in the door.

00:42.67
jessievalle
All right? So the saying goes or I don't know if it's a saying or just a business truth that it's actually cheaper to maintain and retain a customer than constantly bringing in new ones. So it's. Very important to keep clients and customers happy so that they will continue to buy from you versus you always having to go out and seek new customers.

01:11.80
Angela
Yes, and especially if you are a service business part of your business is very likely going to rely on referrals and keeping clients happy and excited to be working with you is one of the best and easiest and cheapest ways. To make that happen.

01:29.87
jessievalle
Um, yeah, it doesn't take any more energy to say something nicely than it does say it negatively I mean maybe a little bit of pause before you just speak mind. But for the most part.

01:39.15
Angela
Ah, yes, right? The thought.

01:47.27
jessievalle
Yeah, it's a lot easier to keep your current customers happy than to continually go out and find new ones for sure.

01:57.88
Angela
So what are some ways we do that.

02:00.20
jessievalle
Yeah, we actually have a little list here. You know Angela can I just say a side note we've been really good at having little lists of what we're going to talk about this is pretty good for us I mean not that I don't love our. Let's just start hit record and riff episodes because.

02:10.80
Angela
Um, we have.

02:15.43
Angela
Start talking.

02:18.58
jessievalle
Those are fun too but having an actual list has been very nice as well.

02:21.57
Angela
Yes, one of these days we might actually plan our topics in advance instead of you know, 5 minutes before we hit record.

02:30.66
jessievalle
And I think we're doing fine. This is real life all right? So the first easy way that you can retain your current customers is by providing excellent customer service and support like it's simple when it.

02:34.90
Angela
But yes.

02:48.36
Angela
Guests.

02:49.84
jessievalle
I mean nothing flies through the internet faster than a business with terrible customer support and not just that yeah and not just that It's really hard to dig yourself out of once. It's established.

02:54.47
Angela
Oh yeah, yeah, that goes fast.

03:02.33
Angela
Yeah that's true I think I few were to ask any marketers what company they work with that has the worst customer service. First of all I'm pretty sure all of them. Let's say the same company but i'm. Also sure it would take less than 3 seconds for them to name. It.

03:22.32
jessievalle
The other thing is a lot of people like they like to talk about their bad experiences online versus the good ones people like to jump on social media to complain.

03:35.89
Angela
Um, yeah.

03:41.82
jessievalle
So let's say that someone is considering becoming your client or customer they hop online do a quick search of your name on social media and all these negative reviews pop up That's not going to go? well.

03:52.60
Angela
Yeah, no, no, that does not work well on top of you know, not not being a great experience for your clients making it difficult to retain clients and customers. It is definitely going to influence. Potential new clients and customers.

04:11.16
jessievalle
Yeah, and I know we're at this point in our business where we should have already established good customer service habits. But now it's even more important than ever because if you really want to step back then you need to have these. Procedures in place. So Anyone can hop in and give the same quality of customer service to your customers whether it's you or someone else.

04:40.20
Angela
Um, right? Yep! absolutely.

04:45.68
jessievalle
So the second thing is you could potentially like offer some sort of loyalty program or discount or something to your longstanding customers I know in the past Angela you've I believe. When you raise your prices. You don't always raise it for the people who have been with you for a while or if you raise it, you don't raise it as much.

05:07.90
Angela
Correct. Yes, yeah, absolutely I don't raise it as much. Um I've also offered discounts if people are purchasing like a bulk package of something or retainers are occasionally cheaper than you know, 1 off.

05:21.11
jessievalle
A.

05:27.19
jessievalle
Yeah, absolutely yeah I mean that's that's pretty easy right? there like if I know that you're going to pay me for the next six months I will happily give you a discount for those six months in order to make sure you stay with me for six months

05:27.89
Angela
Projects just because it's nice to have that recurring income.

05:41.96
Angela
Um, yeah, yes.

05:45.55
jessievalle
And I can rely on that income to come in which again at this point in our business is very helpful and important to be able to have that more steady stream of income and and it's more reliable.

05:59.25
Angela
Definitely another thing you can do especially if you are service based is to offer referral ah payments like offer ah a portion or a specific set amount for.

06:07.10
jessievalle
With.

06:12.84
Angela
Referrals if that referral becomes a client.

06:14.11
jessievalle
Yeah, yeah, and or whether it's a referral fee or a hey you get some sort of discount when you refer someone I know that other companies do that I would say that that's definitely a bigger discussion and I believe we're going to be talking about it and it's.

06:22.74
Angela
Bright.

06:32.88
Angela
Whole on thing.

06:33.46
jessievalle
Own specific chapter here. Yeah here in a couple chapters. We will dive deeper into referral fees and how you might structure them. But regardless, it's definitely a way to retain current clients because if I can refer someone and then you're going to give me.

06:44.45
Angela
Listen.

06:51.27
Angela
Yeah.

06:51.52
jessievalle
Something in return. Well that sounds pretty cool versus me switching to somebody else so it kind of creates that loyalty and and retainment.

06:56.60
Angela
Yeah, absolutely and helps with the the word of mouth and and things like that because you're going to see a lot more people you know speaking highly of you online if they're getting a referral fee.

07:04.34
jessievalle
This is.

07:12.96
jessievalle
If they're getting a kickback. Ah.

07:14.37
Angela
Or kickback than you are if if you're just providing terrible customers service.

07:18.43
jessievalle
Too True too True all right another I think fairly easy thing you could do especially as a service provider is to personalize your interactions and remember client preferences if you are using.

07:34.33
Angela
Yeah.

07:38.17
jessievalle
Any sort of customer. What am I trying to say like a system to manage clients and customers. Yes, thank you Crm Customer Relationship manager. Thank you? Um you.

07:45.70
Angela
Like a C or in.

07:51.97
Angela
Yeah.

07:58.80
jessievalle
Should be able to put little notes in there about them. So for example I have a client who's a brother-in-law recently had a surgery next time I talk to them I can check in hey by the way, how's your brother in law.

07:59.90
Angela
In here.

08:15.72
Angela
So yeah.

08:16.77
jessievalle
Or someone who has a kid and you can either write the kid's name or something they're doing and hey how's Johnny's softball you know or how's how's Johnny's baseball going. You know you can you can ask about that kind of thing and it doesn't take much effort and I mean if somebody was like oh hey, how's your new.

08:31.34
Angela
Yeah, oh my gosh you remembered my puby I know I that reminds me of I used to to go get my haircut pretty regularly and.

08:35.13
jessievalle
Puppy doing I'd be like oh my God you remembered.

08:45.44
Angela
The girl was really great about how are the kids how are the does the drama like she was very very good about that and I asked her 1 time I was like how do you even remember all of this stuff like I know I'm not in here enough to like warrant I'm not cool enough to warrant you just remembering.

08:56.90
jessievalle
Is a.

09:02.56
Angela
And she was like oh no I Absolutely just write all this stuff down like after my clients lee.

09:04.64
jessievalle
Yeah, but you should also maybe not do it in the creepiest way because my dentist will do that and it's like okay dude I come in twice a year. There's no way you remember I work from home. So don't ask me about it.

09:17.50
Angela
Um, yeah, right? Yeah, absolutely don't be creepy about it just you know a little bit of remembering.

09:22.90
jessievalle
That was just weird hey's still working from home. Well, you clearly have a note in your system. So yeah I am but.

09:29.75
Angela
Yeah, I'm still working and yeah, exactly.

09:34.65
jessievalle
Ah, so there are definitely things that you can I mean it is nice but it helps when you have more frequent interaction with someone when you bring those things up.

09:45.41
Angela
Yes, well and it can be even something as simple as remembering which way your client prefers to be communicated with like if you have a client that really prefers say text message over email just remembering that and remembering to like.

09:55.81
jessievalle
This.

10:05.14
Angela
Consciously try to communicate in that way if that's one of your you know forms of communication with your clients can make a big difference like I have a couple clients that really really prefer phone calls I Hate phone calls but I will make phone calls for them.

10:11.91
jessievalle
Finger.

10:17.39
jessievalle
Either.

10:23.30
Angela
Um, because they're good clients and I want to keep them and I want to give them a good experience. Whereas you know if I didn't make a note of that I didn't pay attention then you know I'm sending emails. They may not be happy. They may go find somebody else that's willing to do phone calls or that remembers that they have a hard time.

10:27.38
jessievalle
Isn't.

10:42.39
Angela
Reading text messages because the text is too small like.

10:44.39
jessievalle
Now we understand that I'm not asking you to bend over backwards and let people walk all over you. It needs to be within reason but also this is a lot easier for smaller companies. The bigger you become kind of like my dentist I'm like you see.

10:49.99
Angela
No, no, no no.

11:00.90
Angela
Um, right.

11:04.21
jessievalle
People all day every day and you only see me twice a year. There's no way that you remember this stuff but if it's yeah, like is someone that cuts your hair every couple weeks or if it's someone in in you are.

11:10.52
Angela
There's no way you remember this.

11:22.81
jessievalle
I don't know helping them out with their tech. You're gonna be talking to them more often. So it's really nice to just make those comments I understand sometimes you don't want to waste time and you want to be all business and you want to be efficient but building and strengthening those relationships matter. Especially.

11:23.24
Angela
Oh.

11:31.96
Angela
Share.

11:42.75
jessievalle
In retaining and keeping the customer happy. So they continue to stay with you for a long time to come.

11:47.86
Angela
Absolutely yeah, so another way that you can help with this is to ask your clients and customers seek feedback so that you can do better and provide better service and and better customer service. For them and one of the things that I actually ask when I do offboarding and ask for testimonials. 1 of the questions is like what do you wish? I had done better or is what do you wish I had knew or had paid attention to.

12:17.71
jessievalle
This is cool.

12:21.93
Angela
Like and it's that's a hard question to ask and it's a hard question to get the answer to sometimes but it's helped me customize packages. It's helped me change the way I communicate with clients.

12:34.55
jessievalle
The.

12:36.59
Angela
It's helped me improve relationships with clients. So it's very important to get that feedback.

12:40.95
jessievalle
Yeah, and also working with someone. Let me let me come from the customer's perspective working with someone who cares? what I have to say like it makes me feel good like wow Angela really cares.

12:48.71
Angela
A yeah.

13:00.30
jessievalle
That I prefer phone calls. That's nice and she's actually listening to why maybe I'm yeah old and ill computer illiterate and I don't know how to check my email but I certainly not had how to answer the phone. Thank you Angela! um.

13:00.62
Angela
Um, yeah, yeah.

13:08.83
Angela
Computer illiterate right? Yeah exactly.

13:18.98
jessievalle
It it reminds me of when I mean this isn't necessarily about feedback but my mom walked into a Sam's Club 1 time and the person took the time. To help her get the app on her phone and show her how to scan things herself that it just took a matter of a few minutes extra to take the time to go above and beyond to be like listen I can tell you're not really like into the phone thing but let me show you how easy this can be and took the time to help her out.

13:37.22
Angela
Yes.

13:49.87
Angela
Right.

13:53.57
jessievalle
I guarantee you my mom has a very happy experience when she thinks of Sam's Club now she doesn't have a sour taste in her mouth because they took the extra time to look at her as an individual and help her specifically with her needs and that can be like it's more important.

14:08.82
Angela
Yeah, yeah, and let's be honest, it Sam's Clothes big enough that they probably had some focus groups that told them people didn't want to mess with putting the app on their phone so they went out of their way to make it easier like.

14:11.59
jessievalle
And has a bigger impact than youth might think.

14:25.80
jessievalle
Yeah, for sure all right? So yes, definitely seek. Not just seek not just receive the feedback but also to seek it out can be very important to be like hey but what do you.

14:27.75
Angela
Getting that feedback can definitely help.

14:39.87
Angela
Um, yeah, he.

14:44.40
jessievalle
Think how how was that for you? What did you think of that experience. How could I do better if you were to change something What would it be.

14:51.70
Angela
And customers really like that they really respond to being asked something like that because it isn't something a lot of like nobody asks hey where did I do a bad job like but I mean nobody wants to ask it So when they do get asked hey where can I make Improvements. What didn't work for you like it really does not just give you feedback not just help you make improvements but it also improves their experience as a customer or client.

15:17.60
jessievalle
Yeah, another thing you can do is continue to stay engaged with them through an email newsletter or social media. Just something to continually allow them to see the you beyond the work.

15:35.23
Angela
Yeah, social media is really really good for this especially things like Instagram and Tiktok which are kind of visual but they allow you to get a lot of information out in a very short amount of time which is important because a lot of people don't have the attention span to read long.

15:41.68
jessievalle
This is.

15:51.88
jessievalle
This is.

15:55.50
Angela
Facebook posts or you know go through it to x x thread. Whatever they're called now not the threads thread but the one that used to be Twitter x threads um to get you know to get to the pointer to to keep updated.

15:59.11
jessievalle
Is it. Yes, x.

16:11.86
jessievalle
Yeah.

16:14.20
Angela
So I see especially tiktokers do this really really well and instagrammers do this really really? well.

16:19.90
jessievalle
Yeah, and I've even seen on Facebook just people having an updated Facebook page when I was ah looking for my my puppy.

16:24.50
Angela
A.

16:30.36
jessievalle
I got her through a local breeder and I was able to go on see how the puppies were doing get updates see what kind of new litters they have and stayed up to date with them. Another thing my favorite Taco truck.

16:45.83
Angela
Um, a.

16:46.54
jessievalle
They're closed to the summer and I am devastated. However I know this and so every time I drive by I don't have to be upset. They're closed again. No, it's no because they were open and communicated with us. They're loyal customers on Facebook I could be like I know summer can't come fast enough I really.

16:59.66
Angela
Um, yes, yes and that that also goes to like engaging that like to actually be engaging. There's a couple of brands. Ah, that do this really? well. Wendy's does that.

17:06.14
jessievalle
Really want my burrito but.

17:18.32
Angela
Engagement really really well like big brands Wendy's does it really? well one of the department I think it's Oklahoma or Nebraska one of them department of wildlife does this really? Well, they not only post on their own thing but they engage on even things that don't really seem like would be in their niche. They engage on those and it kind of helps.

17:21.56
jessievalle
Um.

17:36.41
jessievalle
M.

17:36.66
Angela
With the brand awareness and things like that so that can be really helpful as well. Just being engaging.

17:44.50
jessievalle
Yeah, and that's another thing that can circle back to personal. Ah you know personalizing interactions and remembering client preferences if I go to a client's personal.

17:50.56
Angela
Um, yeah.

17:58.40
jessievalle
Social media account and see something that's going on encourage them hey that that looks really cool or Wow that's amazing just for them to see your name. You're like oh she's paying attention to me. She cares I'm going to buy from her again.

18:00.26
Angela
Um, yeah, hey that's great.

18:11.88
Angela
Yes, I actually have the reverse of this happen this week I Jesse knows I've been on the hunt for a specific notebook that I someone got me as a gift and it's amazing and now I can't find it anymore. So I posted a picture of it on Instagram.

18:20.60
jessievalle
Movement.

18:31.48
Angela
I was like I need people to help me figure out what notebook this is and several people posted and said it was from a specific store in Canada and I actually had a customer that I have not ah like I haven't helped her with stuff in a couple years even got online and was like if. You know if they have that at my local store I would be happy to ship it to you like right? So first that made me feel really good because I was like oh I must have really made a good impression on that client. But you know it's.

18:54.53
jessievalle
Wow! Love you? yeah. You know.

19:06.63
Angela
It's kind of the reverse of what we're talking about if that had been a company that I worked with or a contractor that I worked with like that would have been really really good engagement and really cool to to have that sort of thing and be like oh they're paying attention to what's going on with me.

19:20.76
jessievalle
Yeah, it also and I'm not quite sure which one of these items this would fall into. Maybe it's its own standalone but taking time to go above and beyond to maybe send something to your clients and customers like.

19:35.20
Angela
A.

19:38.86
jessievalle
There were some ah longstanding clients that sometimes I would send them like a $15 starbucks gift card or something like that at Christmas time or their birthday or maybe if someone's having a baby you send them a branded one z just.

19:48.75
Angela
Um, yeah.

19:55.52
Angela
Yes.

19:58.13
jessievalle
Something little to say hey I see you This is what's going on in your life. This is just for you. Another thing is when say you're a course creator sending them a thank. You are a welcome card handwritten.

20:10.30
Angela
Yes, I've gotten a couple of those from course creators I Love it. It's so cool to get that.

20:14.57
jessievalle
Yeah, and even that's not necessarily like super personalized. It's still personalized in that it's Angela thank you so much for joining and maybe there's some stickers in there or something.

20:20.68
Angela
And.

20:27.47
Angela
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, exactly just having those or you know, ah you know, send them a notebook here's a notebook take notes.

20:30.22
jessievalle
Like enjoy these stickers because now you're a swifty I'm just saying. Yeah.

20:40.91
jessievalle
Is it.

20:43.43
Angela
While you're going through the course it's that and that's probably how I got that Notebook actually the one that I can't figure out right? Ah, but yeah, it's it really can make difference I think that's kind of its whole own thing. The sending gifts or trinkets or cards. Um.

20:47.75
jessievalle
Yeah.

21:00.23
jessievalle
Who.

21:03.31
Angela
I had ah a course creator that I took courses from for a while that sent like anniversary cards they would that was one of their on their intake. It would ask like birthdays anniversary and then they would send like a happy anniversary card which was really really cool.

21:08.22
jessievalle
Is it.

21:15.64
jessievalle
Yeah, and I know that you've expressed your love for chewy.

21:22.94
Angela
Love chewy I love toy I can't believe I didn't say something about them before now. Yes, two east's birthday cards they sent birthday cards and Christmas cards and adoption day cards. If you adopt a pet.

21:29.12
jessievalle
Well giving you the opportunity for your pets.

21:40.36
Angela
For your pets I have 5 pets so I get cards all the time from chey and it's they are you know hand signed you know from the team at chewy or whatever and it's obviously like just picturing somebody sitting at their kitchen table with just stacks and stuff.

21:50.83
jessievalle
Um, who.

22:00.47
Angela
Its card from the team at 2 a but they's still the thought of let's go out of our way to make sure that people feel you know, welcome and that because people love their pets like I was so excited. The first time we got one of those I couldn't believe it.

22:01.56
jessievalle
Ah.

22:04.83
jessievalle
Yeah.

22:13.10
jessievalle
Written.

22:19.24
Angela
Um, we had 1 of our our pets passed away a couple years ago and I got online like took her off of our list and whatever and we got like a car a sorry for your loss card over her and so that was really really thoughtful and yeah Jesse is right I can't.

22:27.86
jessievalle
It is.

22:36.42
Angela
Say enough good things about shuey.

22:36.50
jessievalle
Yeah, and I know that my my realtor who I haven't bought a house in almost five years now but I still continually get birthday cards and Christmas cards from my realtor I also get.

22:49.97
Angela
Um, me here.

22:53.42
jessievalle
Those types of cards from my financial advisor. So just things like that people will take the time to send something now I can also say from those experiences just having a card and then it's signed by them doesn't mean as much.

22:54.71
Angela
Yeah.

23:09.79
Angela
Yeah, like a note.

23:11.88
jessievalle
As yeah, like a note even if it's as simple as hey hope the kids are doing well wow they remembered I have kids the end like it. It doesn't have to be extreme. You don't have to write a 3 page long love letter. It's just.

23:19.91
Angela
Bright. Yeah.

23:28.50
Angela
Yes.

23:30.95
jessievalle
Even if it's for Angela I might say something like hey hope the chickens don't keep you up at night happy anniversary like this is something little that you can remember about them that you can slip in there and yeah, even if my dentist was just like instead of.

23:35.99
Angela
Yes I.

23:50.69
jessievalle
Saying hey you still doing the online business thing and said they'd be like hey how's the online business going I think that would have come across better then you still? yeah yeah for sure.

23:55.20
Angela
Yeah, maybe a little better. Yeah, or even how how are your kids doing like I'll take a how are your kids doing twice a year like.

24:09.86
jessievalle
I Don't know why that one sticks in my mind. It was just very awkward the way they they brought it up like it was clearly read from notes.

24:11.78
Angela
Yeah, well and it yes one that kind of goes back to what we were saying at the beginning with like providing really good customer service. You remember it because it was awkward. That's that's not exactly the best you know.

24:21.90
jessievalle
And.

24:27.34
jessievalle
Well I mean it doesn't didn't scare me away like I still go to the same dentist. It's no big deal. They tried.

24:31.27
Angela
No I'm just saying like like you were saying people tend to like post about negative experiences online like that was you remember it because it was awkward. But.

24:41.89
jessievalle
Yes I do I do for sure. But anyway okay so at the end of the day retaining your current clients and customers is ridiculously important.

24:57.93
Angela
Yes.

24:59.47
jessievalle
Especially at this stage in your business where you're hoping to maintain what you've built have a reliable income and maybe a little bit of slow growth but part of the way that you can lean on what you've built. Is by having built that strong foundation and continuing to make your current clients Happy So that you don't have to continually go out and find new ones like a big like ah an initial startup you're past that. So Let's lean on and appreciate what we've built.

25:18.37
Angela
In here.

25:25.92
Angela
Bright exactly.

25:35.58
jessievalle
If there are any things that you do that you would like to add to this list. Please let us know we are happy to to add that and I just realized we're recording. Ah, we're recording a podcast episode and yet earlier I said.

25:50.46
Angela
Yes.

25:54.34
jessievalle
Hey we'll talk about referral fees more in another chapter like Angela and I are take I just realized I did that Angela and I are taking these podcast episodes and using them as the chapters in our new book.

25:58.49
Angela
You did I was just going to let that go. Ah.

26:09.51
Angela
Um, yes.

26:10.70
jessievalle
So when I say that we're going to talk about it more in another chapter I Also mean there will be a future podcast episode about it. Oh I think I need more coffee.

26:13.74
Angela
Another episode? Yes yeah, having the episodes for for a foundation for chapters for the new book has been really really helpful. But yeah I was just going to let that one go.

26:25.14
jessievalle
Ah, it has been helpful her yep that? Well it is what is ah if you guys have it? Yeah, we.

26:35.22
Angela
And if there's anything you want us to add to the book. Please let us know.

26:41.30
jessievalle
Please send it our way or if there's anything you want us to chat about the experience of being at the stage in your business where you're past that initial startup stage also let us know we'd be happy to chat about it and make sure you get credit for it in our book. So until next week we'll talk to you then.

27:02.92
Angela
Bye.