Asking Your Top Client for Help May be a Good Thing

Michele Warg
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Your top client is more than just a steady stream of sales revenue. Being one of your best resources in a number of ways, this customer has a ton of human capital you can tap into as a result of the great relationship you share. Collaborating with your best client is absolutely in your best interest.

A top client can become your greatest ally as you try to earn more sales. The best clients have their own customer bases that could also use your products or services. For example, a client could be a leader in a market that you have yet to explore. Nurturing a relationship with a successful customer is a great way to spread word-of-mouth advertising among new circles. Expand your relationship with the client as a key partner, keeping in mind a few important aspects of the partnership.

1. Employees Know Things

Employees of your top client know who else needs your products or services because of the connections they have with their own customers. These people can put you in touch with industries that you might not have identified as potential clients. They may have connections to a wide range of varied companies that have yet to hear of the great things you can do for them.

2. Good Communication Is the Key

You have a ton of sales potential there if you're willing to build a relationship with this top client. Building a relationship requires good communication that creates a rapport between the two companies. Show your enthusiasm for helping the other side succeed, and your top client will realize that you have its best interests in mind.

Creating rapport could start with regular, weekly communication through email. Ask how the product or service is working and whether there's anything else you can do to help. Avoid discussing other clients unless you absolutely have to, as customer data is proprietary and private information. Once you feel in tune with the client, expand your topics of conversation to more personal topics, such as sports teams, family or the latest movies — more personable topics get clients to relax and feel more comfortable with you.

3. Helpful People

People like to help others, and this is especially true when someone likes the person who asks for help. That's when you reap the rewards of building rapport. Ask your top client for tips in a natural, relaxed way, without sounding urgent or demanding. In fact, make these types of requests part of your weekly emails if you feel it's appropriate. Open lines of communication, coupled with getting to know a client's employees who want to help, lead to a collaborative environment between you and your top customer that benefits both parties.

Any great relationship takes time to build, and the same is true with your top client. If you're patient and willing to go the extra mile for your best customer, it might have benefits beyond what you anticipate.


Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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