The Art of Client Retention: Building Loyalty and Preventing Churn
You can’t afford to get Account Management wrong. Having a roster of core clients lays the foundation for your agency’s growth and success. As an agency owner, you know it's crucial to put as much time, effort, and attention into your client's goals and objectives as possible in order to keep them coming back for more. If these elements aren’t in place or are not well executed, your agency will undoubtedly experience greater client churn, which will drain time, energy, and resources.
So how can you assure that you’re doing everything in your power to keep your clients loyal and devoted to your agency? Check out our list of top client retention tips to ensure you’re keeping your client relationships happy and thriving for years to come!
1. Communication Should Always be Proactive, Not Reactive
Our client, Bryan Starck of 100 Celcius says it best; he believes that if a client has to reach out about something, you’ve already missed your mark. A well-oiled agency always anticipates their clients’ needs and never leaves them in the lurch, wondering what’s going to happen next. Regular communication on a proactive basis is key to making your clients feel seen, heard and supported.
Reporting is a big part of communication, so ensure that your reports are sent regularly and are able to provide the analysis and metrics that your clients are truly looking for. Explain and go in-depth about your reporting with your clients so they understand what the results mean and how they impact your goals and objectives together. This is why hiring an Account Manager with the experience and know-how is so important for client retention!
2. Measure Client Satisfaction Through Happiness Surveys
A happiness survey is not only meant to be sent out at the end of a contract; it can, and should, be sent out anytime. It’s never too early to check in to see how you’re performing and if the client is happy. In fact, the earlier the better - why not take the temperature at the start of your work together (2-4 weeks in) to ensure you’re off to a solid start?
A happiness survey is the perfect tool to see what’s working, what’s not, and how things can be improved inside your agency. Extending the invitation to your client, gives them the permission to express their findings honestly and accurately. Don’t be afraid of the survey’s results - whether good or bad, you can use them as a learning opportunity to work harder on what’s working well and to stop negative experiences in their tracks.
3. Provide Personalized (Not Cookie-Cutter) Service
Clients can sense when their needs are not being addressed in a way that’s tailored to them. Although blanketed or cookie-cutter service seems like it would save time and resources, it only leaves your clients feeling like attention and care weren’t put into their specific goals. Everyone wants to feel like they're special, that their ideas are special, and that they require tailored and focused attention.
Clients also want to feel like they’re your top priority and your only client (whether that’s true or not). They never want to feel like they’re last in line, an afterthought, or that you’d only pay attention to them if things go terribly wrong. Quick responses to emails, a compassionate ear, and time made available especially for them are all simple ways of helping clients feel more appreciated.
4. Review Your Accounts Regularly
Scheduling quarterly account reviews with your clients is a great way to ensure you’re on the right track. An account review is key to checking in on what’s currently working and not working and is also paramount to looking ahead and planning for the future. Ensure that your account reviews are adding value - showing up and not just moving through a checklist, but really getting into the nitty-gritty of the current state of their account. Remember that you’re taking a client out of their busy day to touch base, so make sure it’s worth their while. An account review should always end with a targeted action plan so both parties have a clear and concise path on how to best move forward.
5. Revitalize At-Risk Accounts
At a busy agency, it’s inevitable that things will fall through the cracks. What’s important is that once a mistake, oversight, or accident has been identified, your agency does everything in its power to repair the client relationship to prevent cancellation and churn.
Your first step is to identify exactly what the issue is; examine the entire client experience from onboarding to where you are at present to find out what could have caused client dissatisfaction. Enter: the Happiness survey. Once the reasoning is identified, make sure that you’re not only addressing and fixing the issue, but also going above and beyond to make the situation right again. Repairing broken trust or a poor client experience will take more than just righting a wrong; be prepared to offer your client an added resource whether that’s more time, attention, communication, or compensation for your agency’s failing. Complete client happiness is the goal, so do what you need to do to make it right!
Now What?
Want to avoid clients from ever being at risk in the first place? We can help! Our expertly trained Client Account Managers focus on client retention and day-to-day tasks like meetings and project management, so you can focus on what you do best. Book a call today to chat with our team about how our team of unicorns can elevate your client experience, build loyalty, and prevent churn.