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Build Client Trust by Keeping Personal Info to Yourself

November 9, 2011 By 17 Comments

Last week while I was getting a haircut, my stylist started gossiping about one of her clients. She didn’t know that her client was a friend of mine. The first chance I could get, I changed the subject. I was also careful not to share any personal information, as I knew she would share it with others.

I gossip less than I used to (it was my New Year’s resolution), but no matter what, I never gossip about clients. That topic is off limits. There are a few things to keep in mind when you work with clients. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With:

Look for New Ways to Work With Old Clients

October 26, 2011 By 8 Comments

One of my clients, a business consultant, has worked with the same clients for years. She helps a client solve a problem, the client’s business grows, and then she finds other ways to help that client again. She knows that if her clients are happy, they’ll refer her to new clients…and they do.

When your business is thriving, you may not be worrying about getting more clients. On the other hand, if you’re waiting for the phone to ring, hoping that prospects will fill out your “get more info” form, and you have more bills to pay than clients to cover them, you’re probably thinking about ways to find more clients.

You can go after new clients, which can cost time and money, or you can find new ways to serve old clients. Studies show that it’s less expensive to service an existing client than to market to a prospect.  Consider these tips before you spend more time and money trying to find new clients.

  • Anticipate your clients’ needs. You don’t have to be psychic (although it wouldn’t hurt) to gauge your clients’ thoughts and concerns. Some people use intuition while others use a more direct approach: they simply ask their clients for other ways they can help them. If you ask the same question rephrased differently each time — try not to be annoying — you should get the information you’re missing.
  • Be a resource to your clients. If a client asks you to do something that’s outside your area of expertise, recommend someone else. Your client will appreciate your willingness to help and when they need your help again, you should be the first person they call. Make sure you recommend someone reliable, because if they drop the ball, it reflects poorly on you.
  • Create new products or services based on your clients’ needs. For years I’ve heard from clients who have moved from one part of the country to the other, but still want to work with me individually. Some weren’t able to fly me to their home offices, so I had to refer them to a colleague in their city. The light bulb finally went off and I started offering consultations via Skype. At first I didn’t think the virtual consultations would work, but they do, and have become a large chunk of my business.

Before you give up on a client who hasn’t contacted you lately, ask yourself it there are any other services you can offer them. They’ll enjoy hearing from you, you’ll enjoy reconnecting with them, and the bottom line: you’ll be able to help them again.

How have you found new ways to help old clients?

Filed Under: Making money from home, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With: ,

Just Published: Organize Your Home Office for Success

October 19, 2011 By 9 Comments

Today I’m excited to announce that after spending way too much time at Starbucks, on planes, and locked in my home office working on Organize Your Home Office for Success, the new and improved 4th edition is now available.

This is the ideal e-book (it’s also available in paperback) for entrepreneurs, home-based corporate employees, telecommuters, and stay-at-home moms and dads who need a space to manage a business or run a busy household.

How it all started

Eighteen years ago, I wrote the first edition of this book because I started getting two types of phone calls: one from business owners who wanted individual home office consultations, and the other from people who wanted suggestions for books they could use to organize their home offices on their own.

When I looked for a home office book to recommend, I couldn’t find one. It didn’t exist. There were plenty of home organizing books, but nothing that focused specifically on home offices and the challenges of working from home. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Books by Lisa, Home office organizing, Home office setup, Home office technology, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With:

Do The Right Thing But at The Right Time

October 6, 2011 By 2 Comments

source: Ant Smith

Yesterday, I grabbed a sandwich at a deli near my house and the place was packed. While I was waiting in line, one of the employees almost knocked me over. He was busy mopping the floor and putting the rugs back, while customers tried to walk past him to pick up their orders.

The floor needed to be mopped, but did the guy have to mop during the busy lunch rush? He was doing the right thing, but his timing was off.

How is your timing? Consider these questions:

Do you follow up with clients when say you will?

A superstar realtor friend of mine has had a record year. Why? She calls her prospects back on the exact day she promises to call. When she shows that much attention to detail, the prospects are so impressed (and surprised), they hire her to represent them.

One of the few times a prospect she was working with decided to sign with another realtor, was when she responded to the prospect’s text at 3 am. The client had sent the text at dinnertime the night before and didn’t appreciate the text in the middle of the night. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With: ,

Contracts Can Make Everything Clearer

September 21, 2011 By 6 Comments

In my last corporate job before I started my first business, I represented cartoonists and negotiated licensing deals for them. The first mistake I made was that I didn’t have an employment contract.

The second mistake was that I trusted my boss to have my best interests in mind. He didn’t.

For every deal I negotiated, I was supposed to earn 15% of the final price of the contract. When my boss realized how much money I was going to make on my first deal, he changed the rules and paid me a percentage of the amount the company made, not a percentage of the whole deal.

I quit shortly after that.

When friends asked me why I quit, and I explained what happened, they asked me why I didn’t have a contract. Ummm…I didn’t think I needed one? Obviously, I did.

Start with the contract

The purpose of a contract is to make sure that you and your client understand what services you’re going to provide and at what cost. Otherwise, your client’s perception of what you’ve agreed to provide may be different from yours. With a contract, no one has to second guess what the deal involves and who is responsible for what. When you create a standard contract that you can use for most clients, consider having an attorney review it.

Create a relationship built on trust

It’s important to build rapport with your clients and offer to help them as much as possible, yet you need to set limitations. When a client asks you to perform duties not included in your contract, let them know ahead of time that they’ll be billed for the extra time. No one likes surprises, especially when they involve money. Your clients will receive the services they request and you’ll be compensated for your time.

Keep the lines of communication open

Stay in touch with your client throughout the project. It’s up to you to let them know the status of the project, so make sure you know whether they want you to call them or communicate via e-mail.

Fulfill your commitment

Work to fulfill all of the terms of the contract and to meet the agreed upon deadline. Don’t assume anything. If you’re unclear about any aspect of the project, contact your client.

A contract doesn’t ensure that everything will run smoothly, but it’s a good start.

Have you ever had a problem with a contract or the lack of a contract? Please share your comments below.

 

Filed Under: Making money from home, Working at home, Working with clients

15 (more) Actions You Can Take in 10 Minutes or Less to Move Your Business Forward

August 25, 2011 By 19 Comments


In a previous guest post, Michelle Shaeffer shared 10 proven strategies to help you improve your business. The response from readers was overwhelming. In this guest post, Michelle shares 15 more tips.

Guest post by Michelle Shaeffer

1. Write a testimonial.
Think of a product or service you’ve recently received that was fantastic. Now write a testimonial for it and send it to the business along with name, business, URL, and city/state. Include a statement of your permission to reprint it on their site, in their newsletter, etc. If you don’t feel like writing, record it as an mp3 and send. Most (all?!) businesses love to get testimonials or positive reviews and will happily use them on their websites and include your business name and sometimes even a live link to your site.

2. Record a quick how to video and upload to YouTube.
YouTube is a huge source of traffic for many websites.  Using Jing (there’s a free version) or similar program you can quickly and easily create a short how to video with a tip or step by step use of a product or service you offer. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Improving your web site, Marketing/Public Relations, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With: , ,

How to Save Time by Helping Others Be On Time

August 15, 2011 By 6 Comments

On a show that my sons and I were watching a few nights ago, one of the characters walked in and said, “I’m late because I’m very important.”

Can you relate to that line?

Think about the last time you were sitting in a coffee shop waiting to meet with someone. You were clear about the time and place to meet, yet you have to wait at least 15 minutes until that person shows up. How frustrating is that?

All of us know someone who’s time-challenged. They’re not trying to be disrespectful of our time…it just seems that way. There are a few ways, though, to help people in your business life and personal life be on time.

Give an earlier time

When you schedule an appointment with the always-late person, give him or her a time that’s 30 minutes earlier. When that person shows up late, they’ll actually be on time. That worked with a former boss of mine. When she had to do a live television interview, I told her to show up at the studio 30 [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With:

7 Stupid E-mail Mistakes to Avoid

August 11, 2011 By 11 Comments

Stupid e-mail mistakesLast night I decided to give up multi-tasking. I made that decision after I forwarded an e-mail without scrolling down completely and reading the last sentence. As I pushed send, I looked at the last line and let out a loud Nooooooooo!

The friend who had sent me the original e-mail, knowing I was going to forward it, included a smartass sentence at the end. Note to self: read entire e-mails before you forward them.

You’ve heard of what not to wear. There are a few things not to do when you send an e-mail.

Click “reply all”

When the e-mail should go only to the person who sent it, send it to that person only. If you [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home office technology, Working with clients Tagged With: ,

When is it Time to Fire a Client?

August 9, 2011 By 8 Comments

When I was in the corporate world, I couldn’t pick and choose my clients (or unfortunately, my boss). No matter how eccentric the client was — his or her stories would make an interesting book — I had to grit my teeth and bite my tongue to make sure no one complained to my boss.

It’s no wonder that eventually I was fitted for a mouth guard so I would stop grinding my teeth at night.

When I quit my last job to start my own business, I realized that nice, decent clients were out there. For many years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with amazing clients who listen to my advice, are open to new ideas and more importantly, understand (and appreciate) how I can help them. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With: , ,

When Do Business Favors for Friends and Family Go Too Far?

July 25, 2011 By 2 Comments

Would you do a favor for a friend or for someone in your family?

Depending on the favor and the friend or family member, most of us would. Sometimes, though, the favor isn’t worth the aggravation it causes.

Last year, a friend asked me to look at the plans for her new house and to give her ideas for improving them. As a favor to her, I spent two hours reviewing her plans and gave her several suggestions. After her architect made the changes, she asked me to look at the plans again. I spent another hour looking at them (still part of the favor) and made a few more changes.

When she called two months later to ask me to help her pick out lighting, with an offer to buy me lunch, I said no. She had crossed the line from asking a favor to taking advantage of my time and expertise.

After that experience, I’ve changed the way I do business with friends and family. Consider these tips for avoiding a similar (uncomfortable) situation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With:
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