Running a business isn’t always easy, but it can be rewarding. Not just financially, also in the sense that through your business or company values you can improve the lives of real people.
We’re not saying profits aren’t important, just that making them your sole focus isn’t always the best move. People are smart, they know when they’re being treated like a number and they don’t tend to like it. Besides, you didn’t start your business just to make money, did you?
Whether you set out to fix a problem, to build a community or to follow your passion, a good chunk of small business owners are driven by non-financial company values and goals. Why do we mention this? Because the link between such goals and sustainable growth is far stronger than you’d think.
Drawing on our own experience as a relationship-driven business, the opinions of our clients and some insightful data, we want to share the benefits of building a client-focused business.
So, here’s why we put clients above profits, and how you can too!
Why have relationship-driven company values?
Let’s begin with some background. At Seene, we think the most important thing a business can do is nurture meaningful relationships with its clients. In fact, it’s one of our core values.
We believe this because sustainable growth comes from sustainable practices. Basically, if you can consistently offer your clients real, honest, personalised services, they become part of your business instead of a number. When you look at things this way, it’s not that money isn’t important, it’s more that profits will come naturally from the great relationships you build.
While our own experience over the last 5 years supports this (something we’ll get into later), there’s plenty of insights from other sources that help illustrate the importance of this idea.
Focusing on your clients’ wellbeing can:
- Improve their quality of life: 77% of people say poor customer experiences (CX) detract from their quality of life.
- Help them trust you: 90% of people trust companies with ‘very good’ CX ratings to look after their needs.
- Benefit your own community: Employees of client-focused companies are 1.5X more likely to be engaged in their work.
This is all important for building a healthy, sustainable business, one which can enjoy stable growth and profits. Also, while it isn’t our main focus, it’s worth noting that relationship-driven businesses rarely suffer in terms of profitability, as they’re often better at holding onto clients.
Speaking to the needs of existing clients can:
- Raise the probability of making a sale by 14X.
- Increase average sales by 31%.
- Raise the adoption rate of new products by 50%.
- Increase profits by 25% – 95%.
Why should you listen to us?
Okay, so we’re suggesting that focusing on relationships over profits can benefit your clients, your employees and help you build a sustainable business, but why should you listen to us?
Before we get into any practical strategies, let’s talk about where our advice is coming from.
When we started Seene 5 years ago, we had one statement in mind:
“Our clients come first, above all else”
While this isn’t exactly ‘good business sense’, at least not financially speaking, it’s allowed us to build a successful business and a positive environment for everyone in our community.
And it’s allowed us to:
- Retain almost all of our original clients.
- Maintain an amazing attrition rate.
- Cater to all kinds of businesses, from SMEs to S&P 500 companies.
- Have multiple clients offer to overpay us! (the keyword being offer)
There’s no secret, we just put our clients’ happiness first, we welcome them as our friends.
At the end of the day, we’ve seen that focusing on retaining clients over simple acquisition is a consistent and effective way to build a sustainable business. Not only in terms of fulfilment, but as a way to maintain consistent growth supported by word-of-mouth and proof-of-quality.
So, it may not seem like ‘good business sense’, but trust us, it is!
How can I put clients above profits in my business or as my company values?
Let’s get into it. Focusing on customer retention over acquisition by itself is the headline. It’s this idea that underpins our actions as a relationship-driven business and helps us achieve sustainable, profitable growth. But what does this look like in terms of real business activity?
How can I put clients above profits in my business? Well, here are five best practices to follow.
1. Don’t be afraid to work for free . . . sometimes
The topic of ‘free work’ is a tricky one, and for good reason! We’re not suggesting you work for free all the time, and we’re certainly not saying you should ask your staff to work for free, but generosity extended to your clients at opportune times can be a great way to build trust.
Look at it this way, if you really believe in the service you offer, showing a prospective client how well it works is better than any sales pitch. Doing something small for free elevates your abilities far better than potentially off-putting sales jargon and proves results are your priority.
We’ve found small gestures of good will like free sample work and add-ons secure us longer periods of paid work more often than not. At the very least, portraying this mindset helps you build a reputation as a confident and welcoming brand that goes the extra mile for its clients.
What does this look like?
- If you’re a Technical SEO and notice your client has some errors on their site, suggest some quick improvements.
- If you’re a Link Builder, get a client you’d like to work with or a client you value a great backlink for free.
- If you’re a Graphic Designer, offer to re-do your client’s LinkedIn Company banner if it’s outdated.
2. Show clients you understand their needs
People don’t buy from businesses, people buy from people. When a client’s reputation and finances are on the line, trust is everything. So, it’s no surprise that decision-makers usually prefer to work with contributors who they’re able to trust and build genuine relationships with.
The thing is, trust takes time to build. While you don’t want to cheat this, you can boost the process by giving your clients clear reasons to trust you. Wear your values on your sleeve, show potential clients how you can help solve their problems and tell them why you want to.
Taking the time to genuinely understand your clients’ needs also puts you in a better position to create personalised services. We’ve found this helps us offer a wider range of services to help fix unique issues our clients are facing while helping us make the best use of our skills.
What does this look like?
- Apple’s ‘Five Steps of Service’ is a great place to start – In short, approach with a personalised welcome, politely ask about the client’s needs, present a fast-acting solution, listen to and resolve any issues and leave with an invitation to return.
- Show a genuine interest in potential clients’ social media activity – Read their posts, engage and build on their ideas. Remember, stories are 7X more memorable than information on its own, so add some personality to your business’ online presence.
- Show some personality in your emails and messages – Ask clients about trips they’ve mentioned, make it clear you care about them as people more than prospects.
3. Be clear about what you can do (and how much it costs)
If you want your business to be viewed as genuine, trustworthy and helpful, you have to be those things, all the time! A few adverts claiming you’ll do ‘X’ for an amazing price might get you some interest, but if you walk that back later via hidden T&Cs, relationships will dissolve.
Building lasting relationships is a give and take, you have to be willing to be a bit flexible. An example we often see is companies who cap revisions to a small amount before any work has been discussed, showing no intention to adjust their process to best suit specific needs.
If one of our clients’ links gets removed, we prioritise getting it back ASAP or we work to get a new one. Sure, we could recharge them and claim “it wasn’t our fault”, but who does that help in the long-run? And how does that make you feel about the way you treat your clients?
What does this look like?
- Don’t hide T&Cs behind smallprint or jargon – Tell your clients exactly what you intend to charge, what work is covered and why you think this is the best way to work.
- Don’t supplement low initial prices with required add-ons – Don’t intentionally sell work that isn’t needed, clients will see through this and it will drive them away.
- Respect your clients’ intelligence – Professionals know how much work should cost, so don’t try to inflate the price of your services.
4. Don’t vanish after work starts
Have you ever heard about Herb Kelleher? The co-founder of Southwest Airlines famously helped out with tasks like baggage handling and cleaning despite never having to. Why? Because Herb saw the value in being present with the people that made his business work.
The difference between a great salesperson and a great collaborator is dedication. It’s easy to tell potential clients you care about their needs, to research their pain points and position yourself as the answer. It’s much harder to maintain that dedication when you don’t have to.
Actually, it’s not, but you do have to want to do it. This isn’t just a gimmick, it offers real value to your clients, your staff and yourself as a leader. When you’re present and engaged before, during and after projects, you get a much better idea of how well your services are working.
What does this look like?
- Listen to the metrics your clients are measuring success by and keep an eye on them as projects develop – Check in, discuss progress and offer support where you can.
- Be there for your clients outside of paid projects – Real life relationships aren’t purely transactional, so your professional ones shouldn’t be either. Keep an eye on clients’ socials and emails, leave comments, congratulate successes, show them you care.
- Don’t be afraid to crosssell where appropriate – When talking to your clients, you may spot something another one of your services can fix. Suggesting extra work when it’s needed benefits everyone, and shows you’re really thinking about how you can help.
5. Know you can always improve
Complacency is the enemy of innovation. We’ve been around for long enough to know that things change, and that a great service you provide today won’t necessarily be great forever. Core principles should stay the same, but how you approach your work should be adaptable.
Most of our clients have been with us since day one, and for one key reason, we never stop trying to innovate. It pays to continually look for new, more effective, more efficient ways to get results, whether you’ve been asked to or not. Don’t be pushy, but always try to improve.
This idea extends to customer service too. While improving your saleable services will help to increase your profitability, failing to give the same attention to your customer service can alienate existing clients, as well as suggest you’re only trying to innovate to benefit yourself.
What does this look like?
- Pay attention to your clients’ industries – Adapting to changes in your industry should be second-nature, but developments in your clients’ industries could also impact how effective your services are, so go the extra mile and broaden your knowledge-base.
- Be a problem solver, even when you don’t have to – You do your best to help friends with their problems, even if they don’t involve you. Extend this same idea to your clients by offering advice where you can, even if it’s not related to your offerings.
- Encourage your staff to upskill – When learning is part of your company culture, you gain many more opportunities to spot gaps in the market and areas where you could innovate, so encourage your team to learn and grow as much as possible.
Now watch your community grow
So, that’s why we put clients above profits, and why we think you should too. A business is nothing without its clients, so it only makes sense to support them where you can. In taking this stance and prioritising genuine connections above numbers in a system, you’ll see your clients become your friends as your community grows naturally, consistently and sustainably.
If you treat your clients well, they’ll tell others about you, and the profits will come. You just need to make sure you’re genuine about the efforts you make. We’re testament to how well this works, and we’d love for you to test us, so why not see what our experts can do for you?
