Visit Your Clients

Surprisingly, when we urge professionals to spend more time thinking intentially and proactively about their clients (instead of just working on bringing in new biz), we are often met with looks--or even heavy sighs--that suggest, "you've got to be kidding."

As we coach professionals of all levels on their individual marketing efforts, it seems like we constantly need to emphasize the importance and benefits of spending a greater percentage of energy or effort on nurturing existing clients (versus new biz development). Existing clients should receive this heavier focus for many reasons:

1. increasing the level of service to increase the level of satisfaction/delight;
2. affect longevity in customer relationships;
3. inspire referrals from current customers; and, oh yeah,
4. increase the number of project opportunities relative to meeting customer needs--needs you won't know about or be able to help them with if you aren't TALKING with them.

I write today because I just saw Tom Collins' post over at More Partner Income discussing the results of a survey by The Remsen Group. I tend to take surveys with a grain of salt but look at these percentages reported in answer to the question:

Which of the Following Marketing Tactics Has Your Law Firm Found to be Most Effective at Generating New Revenue?

Meeting with customers AND specialization (reflected in organizational involvement) reign.

Well, now, isn't that what we've been telling you all along? :-)

Comments

[Leo Bottary]

Great post. But one of the reasons PR people don't spend as much time with current clients promoting organic growth is that most agencies do a horrible job celebrating the results of such efforts in the workplace. Bring in a new client, and it's break out the champagne. Secure a great new assignment with an existing client and it's met with a relative yawn, despite the fact that the organic growth could be worth more income, and Lord knows, it was less expensive to secure. If we want to change behavior, we have to be clear about what we value as leaders.