PR your way into your client’s heart
You don’t need to be a PR Specialist to secure your client’s sympathy and loyalty, but a little PR knowledge can go a long way when dealing with a person to whom you’re supplying services.
Source: www.sallyhogshead.com
It’s all about communication!
It is a generally known fact that PR reps have a way with words; they know that communication is the key to establishing a long-term relationship with the client and they know how to do it properly.
But you don’t need to have the PR Specialist title on your business card in order to know how to talk-the-talk. What is the secret recipe, you ask? Well, it’s all about:
• being an efficient communicator and an active listener and
• having a little bit of diplomacy and assertiveness.
If you can spice things up with a pinch of persuasion and, why not?, throw some negotiation skills in there, the more, the better.
Customer orientation, definitely a must!
In addition to these communication requirements, you always need to be customer oriented. A client will enjoy doing business with you if you are constantly informed about his field of activity, if you show empathy and acceptance towards him and have the necessary patience in different situations.
Source: www.writersliving.com
Also, being organized, optimistic, attentive to details and trying to find solutions to all issues will make the client come back for more.
You’re probably thinking: I’ve never had (some of) these skills. You’re crazy!
Calm down! Don’t get too overwhelmed, because here is the good news: all of these things can be learned! That’s right; the internet is filled with articles on these topics and there are a lot of workshops you can atttend (most of them even free of charge). Time management, project management, assertiveness and communication trainings, active listening, you name it. The knowledge is just a few clicks/steps away and so is your goal to securing your client’s heart.
You will see that once you master the art of communication and customer orientation, the relationship with your customer will build up on its own and only the sky will be the limit.
(And you know what that means: happy clients > recommendations > NEW CLIENTS. Enough said.)
