Why You Should Call Your Clients Every Friday
Beyond Just Updating on the Progress of the Project
An informed client is usually a better client. In this article, Rod Burkert shares five reasons calling a client on a Friday is a worthy practice.
The phone rings. You recognize the number on caller ID. It’s. THAT. Client. The one you took a retainer from a few weeks ago and who hasn’t heard from you in a while.
You know the conversation is going to be awkward. Do you answer the phone? Or let the call go to voicemail?
The answer to the question is that you don’t DO anything. That’s because the call never happened. That’s because you implemented an SOP of calling your clients every Friday and letting them know what you did on their project this week and what you expect to happen next week. So, there’s no reason for clients to call you.
It’s the same kind of service we would expect if we plunked down a large retainer for any kind of professional service. We’re paying for the right to receive the service … have it delivered on time, as promised … AND be kept up-to-date all along the way.
This kind of status call was a best practice idea that was discussed in of one of my coaching groups. It came out of a general agreement that we don’t communicate very well with our clients. In fact, the people in my coaching group mentioned that many of their clients and referral sources switched from other valuation service providers because they weren’t kept in the loop.
I see five benefits from these calls:
- Obviously, the client is kept informed.
- You can put the calls on your calendar, so they mesh with your schedule.
- Knowing that you’re going to make these calls forces you to stay on top of the work.
- If there are any project snafus, the client will be more receptive to accepting them because you’ve been regularly communicating.
- You can go into the weekend with the peace of mind of knowing you’ve touched based with all your clients.
What do you think? Is a Friday status call to clients a best practice? Is this something you know you should be doing? Are you doing it already? What’s your experience been with it?
Everyone has a different idea of what a successful practice is. The practice you want is personal because it is based on what “successful” means to you. I help practitioners focus on the strategies and tactics to build/grow their versions of successful practices. If you want some help with that, e-mail me at rod@rodburkert.com.
