Many businesses experience a slow down at times throughout the year. It happens to the best of us.  However, if you’ve been feeling that slow-down for the past several months, perhaps it is time to take some action and figure out what is going wrong. What might you be doing or not doing that is driving your clients and Potential Clients away?  Before it is too late you need to take a minute to reflect and then make some positive changes. These should help.

Top Ways to Keep Your Clients Coming Back Time and Time Again:

How are you doing with your clients and potential clients?  Are you still making your current clients feel special?  Even though you’ve been working with them for years, it’s important to still make them feel like they are your #1.  Think about it. Are the newer or potential clients getting all your energy?  This happens, but it’s important to note and make the appropriate changes.

What can truly happen in your business is you get too overwhelmed.  The demands of running your business can be too much.  We also know that part of being a business success is to grow your business and secure new clients.  You WANT to continue doing this, just not at the expense of your current clients. It might be the time to sit down with your virtual assistant or team and go over more tasks they can handle for you so you can give that quality care to all clients.  The biggest mistake most make is thinking they need to do it all alone.  You don’t.  So take action now.

Also, take a look at your promotions or your offerings. Are you offering all the good stuff to the clients you are hoping to attract?  Giving specials is great, but consider what you can be doing for your regular clients too.  You know the ones that pay each and every month.  It doesn’t have to be money either.  It can be things such as sending out extra tweets or helping them with a project they are having problems with.
  
Are you ignoring feedback? – What are you clients telling you?  Are you listening so you can take appropriate action?   Look for signs that things are going well.  For example, are they not sending you as much work?  Are the responses back not as warm and fussy as before?  Be mindful of the signs and work to make it better.  Also encourage feedback, by asking for it.  When I send my invoices, I also ask for recommendations and I truly want to hear what I can do better.

Not connecting enough – Are you not engaging enough with your clients and potential clients. When was the last time you sent out a newsletter or updated your blog? Be honest.  Okay, take it a step further, when was the last time you actually did some marketing for your business?  Take just a few minutes and write down what marketing you’ve done in the past two months.  Now review that.  Is it enough? What have you done right, what can you improve upon?
 
Now you know what you can do to make positive changes, be sure to include a plan to do that.  Write down a specific to do list to make these changes and follow-up on them. Be sure to make client relations a big part of what you do to not only keep those clients coming back again, but to keep them referring you to others.

Diana Ennen is the President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com and the author of numerous books on starting a virtual assistant business including Virtual Assistant the Series: Become a Highly Successful Sought After VA and accompanying Workbook and also Corel WordPerfect’s Office Ready Virtual Assistant Solution pack.  E-mail her at [email protected] to receive your free Business Informational Package.  Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains intact