For services-based businesses in general, two circumstances have caused a reduction in the amount of in-person meetings cpncucted with clients. First, many offerings; such as Managed Services, have moved to an online or remote delivery model. Second, the down economy has forced businesses to cut back on expenses such as travel, affecting the frequency of on-site meetings for geographically-displaced clients. This is unfortunate because human-to-human contact is still extremely important in client-provider relationships. Even the best audio and video conferencing solutions cannot replace the impact and effect of an on-site visit.
Know When to Go
How do you know when to venture out to client sites, and how often? Part of the answer lies in knowing your client. You should be able to tell which clients require more contact and which do not. Suffice it to say that even if a client appears ‘fine’ during infrequent conferene calls, video conferences or in email communication, they might be considering other options for services that you provide, because they may incorrectly perceive that you do not value them as a client. An annual visit is probably too infrequent and a monthly one might be too often. Something in between is probably about right. For new Managed Services clients, a monthly visit during the first 90 days, bi-monthly visits for the next 90 days and quarterly visits thereafter is a good strategy. Remember to keep these visits at the strategic level and discuss not only what your team has accomplished since the last visit, but the benefits you are providing the client towards helping them reach their business goals through technology roadmapping.
Know What to Present
Gone are the days of proving value in your client relationships by of taking them all out to dinner and a few drinks. That is acceptable from time to time, but your strategic sessions with your clients need to continue to reflect your value as you present solutions that increase your clients' efficiencies, reduce their overall costs, eliminate business pain and mitigate their risk - all which improve their profitability. And if your solutions can help them increase their sales as well, that is icing on the cake.
During these meetings steer discussion on expanding on your services and explain what you do and how you operate to make your clients' businesses benefit from it. Provide some backroom stories about ways that you have helped clients in dire need and how they are doing at the present. Then, if you do have new product and solution offerings, present those as well. The goal is to maximize on the human touch during your strategic meetings while generating excitement.
Build Loyalty, Strengthen Relationships
Meeting with clients regularly builds loyalty to your company and services. Everyone is quick to respond something breaks and needs to be fixed. And that is important in salvaging a relationship that might be damaged. But strategic on-site visits strengthen relationships that help weather those kinds of storms.
Go With Something in Hand
Take something with you that clients can physically hold when you leave. These are always good reminders of your relationship. Choose items that your clients will not perceive as corny or cheap - you should not shy away from investing in your clients for these leave-behinds - after all, they are investing in you, aren't they? One way to make these take on even more significance is to have a story to go with them, even if it is humorous and has no connection to doing business with them. The impact comes when they look at the items and remember the story and your relationship. Try it, it works.
Sure, on-site visits cost money, but they can mean the difference between keeping a client and watching them move over to a competitor and losing that revenue completely. Which would you rather go experience?
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Erick Simpson
MSP University
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