07 May How Do You Turn Clients into Number One Fans?

Many agencies think that once they create one great branding campaign, new prospects will start flocking to their office, anxious to become new clients.

Suffice to say, in reality, that’s not how it happens.

When clients are shopping for a full-service agency, they expect their branding to be cohesive and exceptional. They look for quality service in media placement. They look for great ads and stunning brochures.

While these components are very important, they are not what keep our clients happy and coming back. What things exceed client expectations in today’s marketing world?

Listen. Listen. Listen. Prospective clients have already checked you out online, saw your LinkedIn profile, read your blogs, looked at your Google reviews. They know who you are. There’s no need to meet with your prospects and broadcast what makes you great. You need to ask the right questions and listen to the answers!

Manage expectations. Do you promise the world and then scramble to get it done for your clients? To get your clients raving you have to under promise and over deliver. Every time. Managing such expectations may be the single most important responsibility you have with your clients. Although clients act like marketing experts, they really aren’t in your shoes and don’t know much about the world of advertising. Everything you do and say is taken at face value and your client’s trust is in your hands… until you prove yourself untrustworthy. Wow them every time by promising a project in four weeks and delivering it in two!

Keep them informed. Hand-holding may seem like it’s not your business, but it is. When you let your clients know every step of the way that you have things under control, that’s what they’ll remember when your project is complete. It’s also what they’ll share when they recommend you to other prospective clients.

Ask for feedback. When your project is winding down, this is the best time to ask clients for direct feedback on the work you’ve done. Follow-up is the key to long-term client satisfaction. It shows how much you appreciate the business and care about their success.

A great idea from Fivecat Studio: they present their clients with a gift as a way to say “thank you”. A bound book of photos – before and after – showing the project’s progress and the professionally photographed final results. The photo album makes a great gift and a great word-of-mouth marketing tool for your new raving fan to share with all their colleagues.

How do you manage your client’s expectations? Share by commenting below!