How your team can benefit from developing client management skills
Developing client management skills is vital for employees and leaders. Discover 6 key skills that can enhance customer satisfaction and improve your client management.
Whether you have the most agreeable or the most difficult clients in the world, your team must make them happy. But satisfying clients is more than a box-ticking exercise. It requires a range of skills and close attention to detail to ensure clients aren’t just satisfied but delighted with the work you’re doing.
Investing time and resources into building core client management skills gives your team the tools they need to keep clients impressed and invested.
What is client management?
Client management is the process of managing, coordinating and overseeing a company's interactions between potential and existing clients. It involves building strong, lasting and strategic relationships, demonstrating that both parties are invested in a shared vision.
A client manager's primary goal is to maintain and strengthen relationships throughout the client buying journey.
Why are client management skills important?
Client management skills are important for all employees, leaders and client managers alike because:
- They help organisations improve client communication, making it more likely projects will be successful by ensuring requirements are accurately met and expectations are properly managed.
- It takes less time and money to retain an existing client than to find and onboard a new one, reducing your customer acquisition costs and boosting your bottom line.
- Happy repeat clients represent a higher lifetime value to your business than ‘one-and-gone’ customers who never work with you again. They’re also more likely to recommend you.
Six client management skills worth developing
1. Keep an open line of communication
Clients should feel good about your work and the progress being made on key projects. Ensure you’re proactively and consistently keeping them updated and you respond immediately to any concerns or questions they have. This helps your customers better understand how you're using your time and any challenges you might be facing.
An atmosphere of trust and transparency eliminates doubts and strengthens relationships.
2. Share your wins
Keep clients in the loop on even small successes and wins. When something goes well in a project, offer specific details of the accomplishment and outline why it matters.
Let them know if the marketing campaign you're leading for them has made 10,000 impressions, for example, along with any additional context that shows how we’re achieving their goals.
3. Patience, patience, patience
You’ll likely have at least one client who pushes your buttons. They may ask you to explain and re-explain aspects of the project until you want to snap, or they may find other ways to make your work more difficult.
One of the most important client management skills you can leverage in these moments is patience. Pretend the customer is a new team member. You will have to teach them the ins and outs of the company and answer their questions. Once they have a more complete understanding of your company's operations, they may be more effective in collaborating with you.
4. Keep your enthusiasm
When you first win a client, you’re often filled with determination and excitement to be bold and go above and beyond to meet their goals. But that enthusiasm can fade once you settle into routine and deadlines hit.
It’s essential that you don’t let this happen. When you become too comfortable and stop trying to impress your clients, it provides the perfect opportunity for competitors to steal them away.
A great skill to develop is treating every client like a new client. Regularly take a step back and reassess how you can best surpass their expectations. This encourages loyalty and hopefully helps avoid any breakups.
5. Know your clients' niches
A great way to earn your clients' trust and respect is to know their niches. Learn about their respective industries and stay up to date on internal news. Keeping your finger on the pulse is one of the most valuable client management skills.
If you can do this, your clients can save themselves the effort of constantly having to catch you up. Even better, your customers may become comfortable seeking you out for advice or help.
6. Honesty is the best policy
In business, as in life, your word is your worth. A client management skill your entire team should have is honesty. If an unexpected setback arises that prevents you from reaching a deadline, it helps to be transparent with your clients. If you make a mistake, let them know and explain how you'll fix it. By giving them a reason to trust and respect you, you’ll strengthen the relationship.
The takeaway
Keeping your customers happy is hardly easy. But with these client management skills, your team could increase your business's customer satisfaction. When your clients feel understood, in the loop and accomplished, they’re more likely to maintain loyalty to your company for a long time.
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express, or its products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
The material made available for you on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax or financial advice. If you have questions, please consult your own professional legal, tax and financial advisors.
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