The quickest way to lose a client

… And 3 keys to strengthen your client bond

Trust is the reason your client buys from you. It’s a powerful motivator and the most fragile link in your relationship.

Trust is a process, not an event. Its existence requires attention, nurturing, and care throughout your client’s journey with you. It’s the demonstration of your integrity, personally and professionally.

Break your client’s trust, and you’ll likely lose that client.

Almost no one sets out to break trust — it’s just that stuff gets in the way.

People stuff, planning stuff, implementation stuff … the details, the here-and-now, the next unexpected event … they all get in the way of communicating, of response, of accountability.

Trust breaks when you get distracted … when you’re looking ahead, moving on with your planning, and your adjustments, and you don’t remember that your client sees and experiences only a part of what is going on for your business.

They see you and your business at the intersection of their needs and your service.

When they are impacted or surprised by something that happens at that intersection, they look to you to solve, explain or direct it … to give reassurance and clarity. If that doesn’t happen, their trust in you is shaken.

“The glue that holds all relationships together — including the relationship between the leader and the led — is trust, and trust is based on integrity.”

~ Brian Tracy

Does that mean you should never make any adjustments in your business so that your client is not surprised or uncomfortable? Of course not!

If you’re a service provider, your client hired you to help them make positive changes, get different results … to help them accomplish change or growth for greater success.

But, changing where the client feels they’re out of control is unnerving for them. They look to you to give stability and assurance.

Here are three keys to strengthen your client bond, and help them navigate change effectively and confidently.

Keep your promises

Do what you said you would do when you and the client agreed to work together.

Manage your services effectively, and measure results frequently with your client, to demonstrate how and where they’ve made progress.

Talk with your client! Listen with the intent to learn.

If they’re troubled by something that has occurred, ask deeper questions to learn what troubles them, and how the issue can best be resolved.

Take the actions, and keep them in the loop. Check back with them to make sure they are aware of and happy with the progress. Even if the issue can’t be completely resolved, they will know you’re working on it, and that they can trust you to see to it.

Exceeding client expectations: a best practice and strategic business model

In a Forbes Business Councils post on leadership, author Joe Brocato called exceeding client expectations — not just meeting them — a “ best practice and a strategic business model.”

Fix what breaks

No system works correctly all the time. It should be a no-brainer: if something in your delivery or client support system isn’t working properly, fix it — preferably before your client knows it was broken, but as soon, and and as well, as possible, regardless.

If the break was internal (replacing a team member, repairing system communications, etc.,) fix it, monitor it, and move forward.

If the break was in service delivery, tell your client what you’re doing to fix the issue, and assure them that you’re working hard to resolve it. Then, resolve it. Monitor it, and move forward.

Sometimes, what isn’t working correctly isn’t even your system — but it causes difficulties for your client. Supporting them through that process of identifying the problem and fixing it, even when it’s someone else’s issue, just makes good sense.

And, it brings your client added value, greater support, and better outcomes.

Peter Sandeen, marketing specialist for service businesses, was recently asked by a client to monitor some paid advertising campaigns set up by another, reputable company, where conversions seemed to give unexpected results.

Peter’s team did initial evaluations, and the campaigns and analytics seemed to be working well.

However, he said, “We dug deeper and found that the tracking looked fine on the surface, but there were issues underneath.”

Help your clients make consistent progress

Data tracking is not Peter’s primary focus. But, he and his team determined what had gone wrong, and saw that they were able to help. “It’s something I do with clients all the time, so that we can make consistent progress,” he said.

Making sure systems work well so you and your client can make consistent progress is vital to your success and to your client’s peace of mind.

Manage change positively

Of course, your business will require change. It’s part of your planning and growth strategies, and it’s part of how you consistently improve the delivery of your services — so your clients have the best experience possible.

Or, it should be.

What happens when the client is left unsettled and startled by changes you might think are minor, but which hit them unexpectedly?

If they feel their trust in you is broken irreparably, they’ll leave.

Whether they sever your service agreement or just “quietly quit” the plans and actions you and they had been working on, the results are the same: they back away from working with you.

They won’t make the progress you outlined with them. You may not be paid the full agreed fees. And, they certainly won’t be making any referrals for you down the road.

A startling demonstration of this happened to me recently.

The leader of a mentoring organization of which I’m a paid member had been delivering one of the four pieces of training each month. Members looked forward to her presentations and the Q&A time with her. Attendance was high at those virtual sessions, and members were engaged and positive.

She had brought most group members into the organization directly, through program offerings and individual conversations. Members felt she was strongly invested in their success, and looked up to her.

With no prior warning, she announced during a training presentation that she would no longer be training for the group, and that she was stepping away to work on other projects.

She briefly introduced her replacement trainer, whom the members did not know and had never heard from on a training call before, and exited the call.

It was awkward, both for the members and for the new trainer. Many members, myself included, felt we had been abandoned by a trainer we trusted, admired, and respected.

Some members said plainly that the leader’s active engagement in the training process was one of the main reasons they had joined the program, and that they were now considering leaving.

Attendance for those training sessions has dropped off, despite the new trainer’s best efforts in bringing quality information and an engaging format to the table.

It’s not the same. It’s perceived as a lower-quality service, and people are miffed. Members’ trust in the leader, and in the organization, has been damaged. A sterling reputation has been tarnished.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation

and five minutes to ruin it.”

~ Warren Buffett

But, some simple thought and planning could have made for a much different outcome.

Imagine, if the leader had introduced the new trainer in a previous session or two, and even asked her to take some of the Q&A responses.

If the leader’s exit had been handled as a transition, some members may still have been miffed. But, the attitude, training quality, and perceived value would have been much different.

Attendance at those sessions would likely have remained higher, and the new trainer would have had a much easier transition into that place and role.

When you remember the value of nurturing trust, every decision and response becomes easier and smoother. It’s all about considering the timing, consistency, and process of the changes you institute — and looking at things from your client’s point of view.

Trust is a powerful motivator, and the

most fragile link in your relationship

Thank you so much for reading and following my content. I share content about designing and implementing the right strategies for your business to move forward successfully, creating the life and livelihood you want, so that you can create the legacy you dream about, while you’re around to enjoy it!

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