How to Keep in Contact With Your Clients as a Small Business Owner

If there is one advantage that small businesses have over big businesses, it is the personal relationship that they can develop with each of their clients. Unfortunately, many small businesses fail to take advantage of their small size to create a personal relationship with their customers. 

This is a huge waste because in today’s competitive world the only thing that may differentiate you from your competitor is the personal relationship you have with a consumer. Some business owners don’t want their clients to feel pressured, so they don’t keep in contact with customers once a sale is completed. 

However, there are ways of communicating with your clients without appearing as if you are fishing for sales. Make your ongoing communications with clients about developing a genuine connection and adding value to them. They will appreciate it.

Read on for some of our best tips on how you can keep in contact with your clients as a small business.

Set up Online Alerts for Your Customers

A great way to keep in touch with your customers is to contact them about something relevant. For example, you can congratulate them on landing a huge business deal or to let them know about new opportunities. 

It is easy to find relevant information about clients by using tools such as Google Alerts and Mention. Set up the apps to send you an alert whenever the customer, their competitor or their area of business is mentioned. Once you get an alert you can then reach out to them with an appropriate message that will add value to them. 

Recommend Your Clients 

You can also keep in contact with your clients by giving them recommendations on their LinkedIn page, website and Google page. Your client will be grateful for the recommendation and it will keep you in their mind.

You could also introduce your client to other people you know that could be of value to them. We are always grateful for the useful connections made by our network and your clients will hold you in high esteem for such help.

Feature the Client on Your Blog

Contact your clientele and ask them if they would like to be featured in your blog. Most clients would agree as this is free marketing for them. You will also benefit by creating interesting content while deepening your connection with your customers. 

Comment on Your Client’s Posts

Keep connections with your customers by following them on social media and subscribing to their blogs. Comment on their blogs and give your input to posts they make on social media.

Sometimes even a simple like or thumbs up can greatly improve your client’s perception of you. Don’t do this too much though as you don’t want your customer to think of you as a stalker. 

Remember the Small Things

Be present whenever you are having conversations with your clients and make sure you remember the small things that they tell you. For example, if they mention that their son is sitting his high school exams, the next time you run into them you can ask if their son did well in their exams. 

Most people don’t listen let alone remember things they are told in casual conversations. You will, therefore, stand out with your clients if you remember the small things that they tell you. If you have a bad memory, then create a database of your clients and add notes about them that you pick up from your interactions.

Use the Phone

A great way to keep in contact with your clients is to use a small business phone system. These are more advantageous than standard mobile phones because they look more professional. Additionally, they are multi-line numbers hence many calls can come through to your company at once and be answered by different employees. 

You can also easily collect data from each call to better improve your communication with clients. These systems have great features including connection to customer relationship management software (CRM). This allows you to track interactions with clients and how far along in the sales process they are.

Any of your employees that make a call or receives a call from the client can check their history and have a better phone conversation with them based on the information available. 

Write Regular Newsletters

Newsletters are a non-invasive way to keep in touch with your customers and stay on top of their mind. Because clients usually opt-in for newsletters by submitting their email address, they won’t feel as if you’re trying to sell to them when they receive one.

You can let clients know about new products and services offering them better deals for being part of your inner circle. Provide such value that your clients look forward to receiving one. 

Send Birthday Messages

Set up a system to capture clients’ birthdays so that you can send them a birthday message every year. You would be surprised at how customers value even generic messages from companies on their birthday.

Go a step further by sending out personalized messages to your clients. You can even write to them a physical card to keep you in their minds. 

Ask for Feedback

After a sale, you can continue interacting with your client by asking them for constructive feedback about your services. As well as keeping in touch with your client you will also get valuable information about how you can improve your services. Research the best ways to get feedback so that you don’t waste the opportunity by using ineffective feedback surveys. 

Keep in Contact With Your Small Business Clients

Following these tips for how to keep in contact with your clients as a small business owner can be very beneficial in the long run. Remember to make all your interactions about your client and giving them value. 

For more tips and advice on business, check out the rest of our blog.