How to Build High-End, Long-Term Client Relationships

Last week, during one of my complimentary 30-Minute Business Breakthrough Strategy sessions, a potential client asked: "How can I build a long-term client relationship?"

My response was that you not only want to build long-term client relationships, but it is more important to build long-term client relationships with high-end clients and their key influencers. For example: wouldn’t you prefer to have one client paying $5,000 instead of 50 clients paying $100 each. Here are some suggestions to develop relationships with high-end clients and their influencers:



• Know the difference between a client and a customer.

• Provide customized and exclusive services and products.

• Focus your business on providing products or services that represent your passion and talent and the best of you.

• Provide products or services that your clients want, need and are willing to pay for.

• Begin with the end in mind. Start each client relationship in a way that will lead to a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.

• Operate with total integrity and honesty and treat each client with the utmost respect.

• Take time to get to know each client and understand his/her needs. This will build confidence and trust as well as make your job easier.

• Treat each client, even on small projects, as a valued long-term client. Every client has the potential to become a long-term client who can refer other long-term high-end clients to you.

• Provide every client with a "Ritz Carlton" experience.



As a final note, to build high-end long-term client relationships requires a commitment to offering exclusive need-base client products and services. If you do not currently offer a wide-array of products and services valued by high-end clients, you may want to develop a collaboration, partnership or strategic alliance with other entities that offer high net-worth products or services. You may want to listen to 7 Surefire Strategies for Building a High-End Client List and Marketing to the Affluent http://tiny.cc/651g3.



© 2010 Dr. Laureen – all rights reserved