Is one of your goals to retain 100% of your clients? Keeping your existing clients loyal and your new clients happy is a critical component for your continued growth and prosperity.
Below are seven very simple ways to create value with the goal of 100% retention:
- Be an expert. Your clients expect you to share your expert understanding of their specific issues. You cannot create value without attaining expert knowledge of your clients’ business and risk issues.
- Anticipate issues before they arise and address them with your client. Demonstrate your comprehensive understanding of the issues facing your client. Be a proactive problem-solver – this gives your client the ability to sleep at night knowing that you are managing future, time-consuming issues that are preventable. It also enhances your value, making your clients more loyal.
- Provide timely and useful advice. Even when your client doesn’t need immediate help, send him or her relevant updates about the issues specific to his or her business. Periodically inform your client on any insurance, risk management, HR, compliance, or legal changes they might find useful.
- Communicate with your clients in a prompt manner. Remember, the quickest way to lose clients is to neglect them. A client is not going to remain a client if they think you do not value their business. Prompt responses to a client’s questions or concerns is one of the most effective ways to create and maintain client loyalty.
- Provide a risk management service plan. Consider designing a service plan that sets the objective, standards and steps for the implementation of account management, risk control and claims management services. The plan serves as a blueprint for the achievement of specific goals and holds all parties accountable.
- Implement a stewardship review. At the six-month point of the insurance program, meet with your client to confirm that the insurance and risk management services provided are aligned with the wants and needs of your client.
- Give a customer service report card. Design and implement a simple means to facilitate your client’s ability to evaluate (i.e., grade) the services, resources, and products you are delivering. The report card confirms that you are hitting the mark.
Can you retain 100% of your clients? You bet! And the seven steps above will help you achieve this goal.