No matter what line of work you’re in or what type of business you have, we all have one thing in common: the potential to spark meaningful connection with our customers.
This connection goes beyond the work we do or the services we provide. It includes the way we interact with our customers—and the steps we take to build real relationships, not just complete transactions.
That might look like communicating over Zoom so you can see your customer face-to-face.
It might look like sending a handwritten note to tell your client how much you appreciated working on their project.
Or it might look like reaching out to a past customer for no other reason than just to say hello.
The trick is recognizing those opportunities when they present themselves (or creating them from scratch!) and then taking the time to make them happen.
Because when you do, magic happens and friendships form.
I had one such opportunity recently.
I was having a call with a new brandiD client who lives in Denver, CO, and she mentioned she was going to be in Ohio for a meeting, only a few hours away from Pittsburgh, where I live.
After we finished our call, it dawned on me that if we each drove roughly two hours, we could meet in the middle and have lunch together.
So, that’s what we did. We made the drive, we ate and talked, and by the end of our time together we’d become much more connected than if we’d not made the effort. That one drive resulted in a client becoming a friend.
Our businesses become so much more meaningful when we take this approach. it’s also how we’re able to make an even greater impact on others, in addition to the work we do.
To beef up the connections in your business, think about the opportunities that exist all around you. Or think about the systems or processes you can create in your business to boost connection.
One great way is through how you onboard or offboard clients. Instead of just sending a proposal and/or contract for your client to sign at the start of a project, consider sending a small branded gift with a handwritten note that tells them how excited you are to get started.
Likewise, you could send a thank you gift at the end of the project that’s personalized based on something you’ve learned about them or know they like. Little touches like this show that you’ve listened to them, you care, and that it’s important to you to connect with your clients in a meaningful way.
No matter what product or service you sell, we’re all in the business of building relationships. Any effort you make to foster those connections will not be wasted.
No matter what product or service you sell, we’re all in the business of building relationships. Any effort you make to foster those connections will not be wasted. Read more: Click To TweetBecause even in the smallest of opportunities, you’ll see huge rewards both personally and professionally when you make the effort to build relationships with others. Those relationships will most likely result in long-term clients who, over time, turn into friends.
In the end, in business or in life, what could be more rewarding—and impactful—than that?