Treat your client right
Whether you are in sales, operations, customer service or executive leadership, there are a few fundamentals that hold true for all. Follow these fundamentals to invest in your future and maintain high standards for yourself and those you work with:
Be Available — answer your phone and return calls within 24 hours. If you are out of town or in meetings, record a message on your voice mail that reflects your situation and expected call back times.
Set Expectations — under-promise and over-deliver. Be clear with your clients and partners on what to expect and when to expect it. If the situation changes, communicate what is going on as well as set new expectations based on that change.
Follow up and Follow through — do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.
Communicate — have weekly contact with your clients and business partners about their transaction and update them on status, issues and solutions.
Create Raving Fans — every transaction you work on can be leveraged into future business with that person and everyone he or she knows.
The simple truth is, treat people how you would like to be treated if you were on the other end of the transaction.
This is from Steve Rennie at Hammerhouse.
