Build and Maintain Your Client Friendships

For 12 consecutive years, Joe Girard earned the title of the “World’s Greatest Retail Salesman” in The Guinness Book of World Records. He personally sold more cars than most dealerships, with people standing in line to buy cars from him. How did he do it?

His Secret: Joe sent 13 handwritten cards to each of his clients and prospects every year- sending one card each month and one on Christmas. The cards included thanks, tips, and giveaways- they never featured special sales, discounts, or promotions.

Joe’s clients and prospects began to anticipate his card every month, and when they were ready to buy a car he was the first person on their mind.

Here are some tips to take away from Joe’s story:

• Develop Strong Relationships: Become genuinely interested in your customers and prospects. Get to know them personally- make mental notes of what is going on in their lives and refer to them next time you meet. People do business with people they know, like, and trust.
• Consistency: Nurture your relationships by consistently staying in touch. You can send heartfelt cards like Joe, emails, phone calls, or newsletters. Studies show that we lose about 10% of our influence for each month we don’t contact our clients. Just a 5% increase in customer loyalty can add 20-80% to your bottom line.
• Create a Strategic Objective to Stay in Touch: Here a few examples: A simple and sincere handwritten card can make a huge impression on someone. You never know when they are having a bad day. You can sometimes include a customized gift such as sticky notes, a coaster, a magnet, or a nail file with a thank you card. Real estate agents can record closing dates and send anniversary cards. Veterinarians can record the birthdays of clients’ pets and send birthday cards.
• Law of Attraction: When we send love and thanks out into the world, we get it back tenfold. When we express appreciation, recognition, or encouragement, we are focused on giving and abundance, not scarcity. If you focus on lack of money, what we focus on expands, so you will continue to have a lack of money.
• Build a Referral Network: When we make a commitment to stay in touch with people we know-we have the potential to reach thousands. You can build your network by joining local and online business network groups. Occupations such as real estate obtain 90% of their business from referrals or relationships. Building strong networks and nurturing meaningful relationships with the people we serve garners unlimited referrals so you are less affected by economic down cycles.

At AMP, our number one priority is to make a difference by sharing information and ideas to help our customers enjoy greater success. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your sales and marketing questions. We’ll be happy to expand upon the ideas found here and to help you find the resources you need to grow your business.