Your business exists because of your relationships with your clients. Your client relationships exist because of your customer service. Your client relationships are what I call the “jewels” of your business. Here are what I consider to be some of the most important ways you can be polishing your jewels, and creating even better client relationships. 1.  Use your intuition.  When engaging with a new client, notice: Does it feel right?  Is something “off?” Is this a “perfect match?” Listen to your gut. Developing your intuition will be one of the most important keys to your entrepreneurial success. Doing business with clients that are just right for you will always increase the ease and success of your business. 2.  Create and manage your client’s expectations. Make sure you’re very clear right from the beginning about what your customers can expect from you, and then make sure you fulfill those expectations for them, or exceed them. A client whose expectations have been met, and hopefully exceeded, is a very happy client indeed. And most likely will become a repeat client. 3.  Be personally available. Be available to return calls or emails in a VERY timely way. And be prepared to receive two types of customer service enquiries: “Ms. All Business and Get Right to The Point” and “Mr. Wants to Chat and Fill In All The Details.” Be willing to engage with the long-winded clients as well as the abrupt clients. And what makes this easier is to care about each and every one of them as if their business was your business. 4.  Go the extra mile. Do something unexpected. Send a great picture or recipe or article that you think they’d like. When they’ve asked for one voice-over version of their T.V. commercial, send them two versions instead. Stop by the office or studio with a gift for a special person in your client’s business who has gone out of her way to help you. Write a glowing review of their business on your blog with links back to their website. 5.  Ask for their help. When you ask for help from a client – for example requesting a testimonial or a referral – it creates a reciprocal relationship which deepens your bond. Your clients will enjoy being seen as a resource as well. 6.  Apologize if you’ve made a mistake. Respond right away, promise to rectify the situation, and make good on your promise immediately. Also, sending a nice box of chocolate chip cookies or caramel brownies with a note of apology can only help! 7.  Ask them what they like. That is, ask them point blank in an email, letter, or phone call what they like about doing business with you. Ask what they don’t like about doing business with you. Ask how you can provide better products or services for them.  Ask them what they’d like to have that you’re not providing yet. 8.  Always be sincere. Always be 100 percent yourself, 100 percent sincere. Care about their business as much as you care about your own. Your sincerity will come through in your voice. Guaranteed. 9.  Disengage immediately from contentious conversations. Never engage in a contentious or emotional conversation with a client. Take that off the plate immediately if it ever arises and make it clear you won’t participate. If there is a problem and they’re upset, let them know you’ll put the details in an email or letter and suggest speaking in a few days when things have calmed down. Thank them for their input, let them know you are very interested in solving the problem, and will be happy to discuss the situation on a future date. 10.  Always follow up, no matter what. Always, always, follow up as often as you can – with a thank you card or phone call. After a job. After delivery of a product. After a pleasant in-person exchange. After the resolution of a problem. (Resist using only email as a means of communication.) 11.  Promote your clients as well! Always keep your eyes and ears open for ways you can respectfully promote your clients to others. 12.  Establish a code-of-conduct for professional communication. Whether you’re emailing, calling, writing, or texting, always have an impeccable code-of-conduct with regards to your professional communication with your clients. No profanity, be careful of typos, and include opening and closing salutations. Stay professional with your client communication at all times. If you establish this rule you will never have to wonder if you’ve written something inappropriate, over-stepped your boundaries, or offended a customer with an email. 13.  Remember the small stuff. Remember (or write down!) the little things: A client’s birthday, whether they like green tea or Pepsi, the anniversary of their T.V. station’s Grammy Award win, when their first grandchild was born, or the launch date of their new website. Remember things that are important to THEM and bring them up in your conversation. Care. 14.  Be willing to recommend others. If you’re not the right person for the job they’re asking you to do, recommend someone who is or at least suggest someone else who can be helpful to them. 15.  Know the company (inside and out) that you want to do business with. Be respectful and know as much about them as you can. For example, if you’re pitching the UPS marketing/advertising department and are sending them your voice-over demo CD, do not send your CD via Fedex. 16. Treat your BEST customers like gold.Of course you will treat all your customers with the utmost professionalism! But remember the 80/20 rule? It’s most likely that you earn 80 percent of your income from 20 percent of your clients. These are your VIP Clients. So stay in close touch. Give them special rates, gifts, communication, and service. Make sure you treat that 20 percent like the VIPs they are. So yes, think of your client relationships as jewels and take time to polish them on a regular basis. Remember:

• Do what you say are going to do when you say you’re going to do it. Fulfill and exceed their expectations.
• Create a stellar product or service that they can rely on, 100 percent.
• Be punctual and reliable.
• Maintain a positive, optimistic, enthusiastic, “can-do!” demeanor.
• Always be professional, unflappable, well put-together, and relaxed.

I hope you’ve found these suggestions helpful. Think about what’s most important in your business and “polish” those components. Make them the best they can be. Add your own! Keep in mind that the way you treat your business (and all its facets), and the way you treat your clients, will determine your success.