Whenever you started your journey as a coach, I’m sure you never envisioned creating a business with a huge revolving door directly in the middle of it. Did you? Unfortunately, many coaches do exactly that when they neglect to nurture the relationship of their current clients.
Often, I’ve seen coaches get overly excited that they have landed a few clients. And, they definitely should. Winning your audience over and convincing them to invest in your guidance and experience is a huge feat. However, the work is not over once they have become your client. You must continue to cultivate the relationship.
One important and easy way to do this is through email.
Let’s look at 4 reasons why you should and 3 ways you can strengthen your rapport with your client base and increase client loyalty through email.
Why you should
When you are in constant communication with your audience, it allows room for several things to happen. Today, I’ll mention 2 outcomes for you and 2 actionable outcomes for your client.
For you, the result will be:
- A deeper understanding of your audience
- Re-enforce yourself as an expert
For your clients, they will:
- Likely purchase more products and services
- Refer their friends
With these beneficial outcomes, it ends up as a win-win for both you and your audience. However, to get the most out of the effort of creating and scheduling these emails, there needs to be intention behind each email. There needs to be a purpose, a strategy in place so that you are not wasting your time and efforts.
With my clients, we sit down and create a client retention strategy. This is a strategy that is designed specifically for current, and in some cases, previous clients, and hot leads or prospects. These are not emails that will go out the entire list or community. Every quarter, we design email campaigns that will invigorate the clients and make them feel like VIPs.
Another thing I introduce to my clients’ businesses is the ease of automation. When you add the function of automation to the mix, you’re able to be more effective with your emails and you’ll see a quicker return on your investment.
Now that we know the benefits of using emails strategically to strengthen your relationship with your clients, let’s discuss how you can do it.
Personalize Your Client Experience
When I mentioned the idea of creating a personalized client experience to one of my clients, she gave me this look of shock and disbelief. “Jay! How are we going to do that for all of my clients?!” You may have been thinking that too. How can you send an automated email to your list of clients?
It’s very simple – Segment you list.
By doing this, you are ensuring that your clients are receiving messages that only pertain to them.
Whether you have 1 client or a group of hundreds, you can tag and segment your list depending on the pain points, concerns, interests, and background of your clients. To segment your list, it’s as easy a – if this, then that – type of process.
For example, if you have a webinar about a certain topic, like dating after divorce or marketing on Instagram, those who sign up for the webinar express their interest in that topic. Once they sign up, they will be tagged or segmented on your list as those interested in the topic. Then, when you want to specifically address that topic, you can send out information to those in that segment.
By personalizing your client’s experience, you show that you are paying attention to them and that you are interested in them. Your interest goes beyond them as paying clients but for them as individuals.
Special Offers & Sneak Peeks
Who doesn’t love an exclusive sneak peek of a new life-changing program? I haven’t met one person who has turned down an opportunity to see something that hasn’t been released to the public. People absolutely love the elite privilege to be the first to get to experience something.
Also, everyone loves a deal! Regardless of if it’s 5%, 10%, 75% or completely FREE, everyone fans out over a deal.
It adds to the feeling of being a VIP, first-class, premier client of yours. So, when you are creating your client retention strategy for the quarter, think about the programs that you have and the clients that are in them.
Are their clients who are in Program A, who are ready to go to Program B? Or, does Program C need to be refreshed and updated? Can you offer the older program at a discounted price? Can you offer those who would be interested in your new program an elite early, early bird special?
I’ve even had great success with a client who ran a 2 for the price of 1 promotion for her clients. She was releasing a new course and offered her current clients an offer that if they enrolled with a friend, the friend would enroll for free. Not only did she sell out the course, but her current client list grew by 75%!
Is that something that you can incorporate during your next launch?
Show Gratitude
From the time we are kids, we are taught our manners. We’re always told to say “Please” and “Thank You”. For some, as they’ve grown older, they’ve forgotten how meaningful those words are.
Just think of it. Your clients are investing several hours and hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for your unique coaching and support. They are trusting you with their lives and their businesses. To bestow a gesture of gratitude for their trust and loyalty is the least one can do.
Also, for your clients to receive these types of emails, which will contain no selling or marketing to them, will evoke warm, positive, fuzzy feelings that will strengthen your relationship with them.
Consider hosting a virtual client appreciation event and inviting your clients to it. Or, having quarterly promotions or gifts for your clients. You can send them downloadable gifts that are just hanging out on the shelves of your computer, helpful articles on your blog or newsletter, or you can highlight a business that will enhance your clients’ life and share your affiliate link for additional savings for them.
Bonus: Ask for Feedback (and listen)
No matter how knowledgeable you are of your audience and your clients, you don’t know everything. Hate to be the one to tell you that. #SorryNotSorry
There is nothing worse than assuming that you know what your clients want from you and you rush off to create a program around a specific issue/problem, just to not be able to sell it successfully because that’s not what your audience wants from you. There is value in feedback. There’s more value there than could ever be described. It’s like a pot of gold sitting there waiting for you. All you have to do is simply ask for it.
Every coach should make an effort to ask for and gather feedback from their clients. Not only should you ask for it, but you should listen to it and act on it. Even if your clients are complaining about a program or process, it can only help you to identify and improve yourself as a coach and a business owner.
Imagine how your clients will feel when you start to implement the changes that they’ve suggested. How would you feel if you were in their shoes? Would you not feel valued?
By asking for and implementing client feedback, you not only show that you’re interested in them, but that you are invested in their experience of you and your business.
It’s crucial to your coaching business that you continue to foster the relationship that you build with your clients. Not only is it beneficial for you but it endears you to them.
The time and thought that you put into your clients and nurturing that bond is well worth it. And, it will return to you tenfold.
