Getting your most important clients on-side is easier than you might think; all you need to do is use the right strategies and you will be able to show them that they are valued and make them feel special, without breaking the bank in the process.
Here are just a few ideas to try out if you want to impress key players that are significant to your business and brand.
Give them a luxury gift that they’ll love
Everyone enjoys getting something for nothing, and a free gift is a great way to demonstrate your appreciation to your customers.
Of course you will also want to make sure that your gift does not feel tacky, thoughtless or conspicuously cheap. Luckily there are lots of luxury gifts for your most valued customers that will really turn heads and be something of a talking point.
From customized corporate swag to artisanal food packages, you can adapt your choice of gift so that it is not only eminently opulent, but also suitable both for the customer in question and for your own brand identity.
Make them the focus of your attention
Whether during an in-person meeting or a virtual get-together, being unwaveringly attentive is a great way to show just how much you care about a client.
In an age of constant smartphone distractions, the best route to achieving this involves setting your mobile to silent mode and also resisting the temptation to check it for alerts for the course of your meeting. Failing to do this is not only potentially frustrating for the client, but is also bad etiquette in almost every business and social engagement, so it is good practice to start engaging with the scenario you are faced with rather than being drawn to the device in your pocket at every opportunity.
Get them talking
In a sales scenario, you may feel pressure to take the lead and do all the talking, but this could risk customers feeling like they are being sidelined, acting as nothing more than a passive observer of your performance as you pitch your latest product or service.
It is actually more effective to flip the script and make sure that you encourage the client to communicate, and this is best achieved through the use of well-chosen questions.
Asking questions of clients, whether directly connected to the purpose of the meeting or more generally about other topics to which they will relate, will help to break the ice and also build a stronger bond between you.
Be genuine
Last but not least, remember that although you should aim to impress customers and clients whenever you can, you should not do so at the expense of forgetting the strengths and values of your brand or your own individual personality.
Authenticity is more important than pure showmanship and bluster, so bear this in mind when you are next interacting with clients and you should make better progress by being genuine.
