Keeping the love connection with clients

I want to surprise my clients and regularly stay in touch with them. I have an email newsletter that they know exists, but not all of them are subscribers, and I don't want to pressure them to sign up as a way for us to stay in touch. I try to write an occasional email to such clients, but it's awkward to say "Hey, how are you doing?" when we both know I'm looking for more work. How do you stay connected with past and present clients?

— Mark, Owner

Summary of Advice Received

Showering your clients with professional love
by Meryl K. Evans, eNJ Editor

If we don't take clients for granted and work to stay in touch with them, we’re taking a big step toward creating loyalty. No matter how much you do for clients, loyalty isn't permanent. It doesn't mean shelling out big bucks to surprise them, and the little things do matter. This story tells how a salesperson selling suits delighted his customer. You'll be wowed. I was. The salesperson dared to be different. At the same time, his story was told in this article, which might just land him more clients.

Dare to be different

Like the suit salesperson, Allison Kessler, creative director at 2Design Web, encourages being a horse of a different color.

"Be different! Why write an email when you can phone? I often call up clients just to say hi and reconnect. Get personal with your clients. Show interest in them. Learn their kids' names. Do you know how many businesses don't follow up with past clients to make sure they were really happy with the service or product? This is most frustrating with the hair-dressing industry. If I have to pay $65 or more for a hair cut, I'd appreciate a quick follow-up call to make sure I'm satisfied.

"For the holidays this year, I made all of my cards by hand. I cut out those snowflakes (like ones we made in second grade) and pasted them on blank cards and threw my business card inside. People appreciated this, and I've gotten several emails saying so. And every time I receive a word-of-mouth referral, I immediately send out a $5 coffee gift certificate with a hand-written note and my business card to the referrer. This is more personal than an email. The key is to pleasantly surprise your contacts instead of forcing them to sign up for yet another email newsletter."

If the phone isn't your thing, send something in the mail that requires the Post Office to deliver it.

Share stories

Kevin Carpenter, director of sales at Informz, believes the story route to stay in touch with past clients works well. These success stories give prospects an idea of how a company's products or services may fit their needs.

"Share best practices with your clients. Write a success story about how a named or un-named client used your product or technology to improve his or her business and share it with your other clients. It's work, but it gives you an excuse to reach out to 'dead' clients by offering them something of value."

Companies drive their messages home by posting stories and case studies on their Web sites. Clients and prospects benefit from these stories because it helps them see how their problem can be solved rather than discussed in theory. Put the elements of surprise — daring to be different — and a story together and you’ll get interested clients.

Meryl K. Evans is the content maven behind meryl.net, helping companies get better results through simple words that make a big impact. Stop by her blog or contact her anytime.