To grow your business, you need to establish stronger personal connections with your clients. They need help with promotional ideas on how to best reach their customers, which means you have to elevate yourself from an order-taker to a trustworthy expert and go-to resource. You need to stand out from the competition and be on your customers’ minds even when they don’t need to place an order.

Establishing stronger personal connections with your clients is easier than you think. Follow these simple tips and you’ll improve your relationships and set yourself up for more promotional products sales down the road. These are just some of the ways you can build a longer and stronger long-term partnership with customers.

Tip 1: Meet Face-to-Face

With more people working from home and less travel, physically meeting face-to-face isn’t always an option. If you work close to clients, see if they’d be comfortable meeting up with you, and if not, a video chat is a great way to connect.

Tip 2: Share Ideas for No Reason

There’s just something very personable when someone sends you a message and says, “I saw this and thought of you.” You can do that with your clients! Any time you see a promo idea, shoot them a text or email and share it. Another way to do this is with something you know they enjoy, like a certain type of food, cute animal, vacation spot or even a hobby. They’ll appreciate that you thought of them. It may even create a longer conversation, but if not, you’ll at least stay top-of-mind.

Tip 3: Respond on Social Media

Tweets, likes, stitches … it can all be very overwhelming. Make sure to prioritize responding to customers first. Answer any questions they have. If they say something that doesn’t really require a response, sometimes just responding with a few funny emojis is a nice acknowledgement. Always address negative comments with positivity – you might turn a hater into an advocate.

Tip 4: Customize All Interactions

Whenever you can, you want to include your customer’s preferred name, company name and any other information in communications. It shows that you took the time to think of them specifically. For example, if you’re following up after a trade show, reference something you talked about or something that you observed at the show. If you can find out your customer’s birthday, add it to your database and be sure to mail a card or even send an e-card when it comes around. These little touches will make a big difference in building a rapport.

Tip 5: Always Say Thank You

Sounds too easy, right? But not everyone does it! You can really stand out from your competitors by thanking a customer after they place an order or attend an event of yours. You can even thank them after the fact as another touchpoint: “Thank you for your order last month. We appreciate your business. Is there anything I can help you with today? Don’t hesitate to reach out.” Holidays are always a great time to thank customers too, so don’t forget to add them to your holiday card or gift list!

What are some ways companies have connected with you and made you feel important? Let us know in our Facebook group.

Sources:

“Seven Ways to Create a Personal Connection With Customers.” Forbes Business Development Panel. November 16, 2017. Forbes.
“How to Connect With Customers.” Caramela, Sammi. February 23, 2021. Business News Daily.