Be available + present for your clients
That’s right, my giant piece o’ advice for you this week is to be available so your clients can reach you.
In all seriousness, it’s something that is vital to the success of your business. Because without money, it’s just a hobby + without customers you won’t have money. Being available + present is pretty easy to do, once you understand your boundaries.
Because while you need to be reachable, I’m certainly not suggesting that you live in your inbox + drop everything the second a new email comes in. There is a difference between being available + being a doormat, so make sure you pick the right option.
What are some easy ways to be present/available to the folks that matter most to your business?
- Reply to any/all emails within a reasonable timeframe {Some folks might feel better with a 12 hour turnaround, others are ok with replying within the same week}
- Get rid of all distractions while on Skype calls + hangouts {cell phone alerts, browser windows, your task list + the pets should all be silenced, minimized, closed + recently walked/fed – in that order}
- Ask your client if they have any questions or concerns the next time you have a conversation – whether email or phone
- Update your clients or send them a “thinking of you” note when there are longer gaps between official project updates {For example, if you are designing a complex site or putting together a custom training plan for them, just shoot a quick email or call to let them know how it is going}
- If you are reading/writing emails, don’t do anything else. If you are creating a solution for your client, don’t do anything else. Multi-tasking {especially between client projects} takes your head out of their brand/business/goals.
While it might seem obvious to say that you should be available to your people, 87% of all new clients that I work with have been let down, disappointed or abandoned by their previous designer or developer. If I had a nickel for every person that said “they fell off the face of the earth” during our initial consults, I’d likely have almost $5. But that is a lot of nickels!
My challenge to you is to take some time {~ 30 minutes} to look over your current process + identify areas were you can be more available OR think about 3-5 clients that would love a quick update and simply send those email messages today.