09 Apr Are you guilty of simply waving goodbye to clients?
I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in a number of one on one workshops recently with some very cool allied health people, but one thing has struck me throughout all of this – what do you do when your natural client/practitioner relationship is over?
Most often than not, we are all very guilty of simply waving goodbye.
One of the key questions I ask during these session is – what do you, as a health business, do to keep your relationships with past clients current?
If your answer is – not much – it might be time to stop, analyse and include some key strategies to improve this immediately.
THREE WAYS YOU CAN KEEP IN TOUCH WITH CLIENTS
Book in your follow up emails – NOW
As soon as your natural relationship with the client has come to an end and there is no need to book in follow up appointments, it’s time to plan the next phase.
No matter what email/clinic software you use, don’t waste time, make a note of follow up emails.
For example, if you saw Client A with a back condition, make a note to get in touch with them in a month to see how the back is going and if more work is required. It’s then time to book in another email, perhaps six months time, again – a gentle follow up on how the patient is getting on.
This is of course, on top of adding them to your generic email marketing.
Capture the little moments of your relationship
Great practitioners understand that by creating a close relationship with their clients, they create bonds that will last a lifetime.
When you were treating them do you remember any key points – perhaps they were getting married, having a child, changing job, going overseas?
If there was any of the above, why not jot a note in your pad and book in an email to follow up with a ‘congrats’, ‘happy birthday’ …. ‘happy hanukah!”
That little personal touch after the business relationship has ended can be GOLD.
Get on the phone
If you’re a little old fashioned, why not pick up the phone?
“Hi John, it’s Bill from ABC Podiatry, I had a little spare time and wanted to see how you were getting on?”
Simple right? How many of you do this?
Of course this can be more time consuming, but how much time does it actually take out of your life to give a little love and attention to a great client.
So there you have it, three small ways you can stop waving goodbye clients and start building life long relationships.
Want some more tips on creating a long lasting client relationship – check out this great article from Inc.com