The Pareto Principle, or 80-20 rule, tells us that 80% of our sales come from 20% of our clients. It therefore goes without saying that keeping those clients coming back to us should be one of our top priorities. With April being International Customer Loyalty Month, let’s look at a few things we can do to make that happen.

Underpromise and Overdeliver

In other words, don’t create expectations you can’t meet. If you believe you can complete something by Wednesday if you really pull out the stops, don’t tell your clients you’ll have it done by Wednesday just to make them happy. If you encounter unexpected complications or interruptions, you won’t be able to meet that deadline, and your clients won’t be happy after all! Instead, say you’ll have it done by Friday. Then, if it’s done by Wednesday, or even Thursday, your clients will be really impressed, and know they can count on you in the future.

Show Your Appreciation

Reward your regular clients with occasional freebies or discounts. Send a greeting card instead of an email from time to time (a VA can help you stay on top of this). Be sure to thank them when they send other business your way, possibly with a gift card or a credit for a free service.

Take the Time to Check In

If someone is doing business with you on a regular basis, they are probably happy with your services, but you know what they say about ASS-U-ME-ing! Make a point of touching base every once in a while just to see how things are going.

Are they 100% satisfied? If not, how can you improve?

What are their future plans? Is there a way you can help, either by providing additional services or by connecting them with other professionals? A client who comes to you for a specific thing may not be aware of the other services you offer.

What do you do to keep your clients coming back?