I often get asked, "How do I attract my former clients from
my competition?" Well, I've got good news and more good
news...it's far easier to get back together with a client
you've lost or had no contact with than to get a new client
-- just think about the last time you had to cold call a
prospect list.
What I have discovered over the years is that too many
small business owners stand on foolish pride and never try
to resurrect former clients. That's a mistake. It's far
easier to get back together with a client you've lost or
had no contact with than to get a new client. Your goal on
the phone should be limited: to get a meeting with the
former client at which you can pitch to become part of
their life once again. The secret to achieving this is to
play, as much as possible, on any personal relationship or
event the two of you shared. Assuming there was a problem
that caused your falling out, the former client may still
be angry. You response should be to absorb their anger and
simply ask for the chance to tell your side of the story
and make amends. To do either of those, you'll need a
meeting.
Here are the tactics you need to practice prior to your
meeting, in order to attract your former client from your
competition:
1. Your attitude must be cordial, humble, and if necessary,
persistant.
2. Before the call, gather as much personal data about the
former client and his family as you can. Now is the time to
dig through your notes if you don't remember names and
ages. Search Google for your client's name, and see if any
personal information pops up on a Blog somewhere. Also, be
prepared to call back since your sudden reappearance may
surprise them initially.
3. On Tuesday through Friday, try to call either before 9
A.M. or after 5 P.M. Do not try to resurrect them on a
Monday. Also, don't call the former client at home or on
the weekend.You'll get the most civil responses during
normal working hours when they are at the office.
4. Prepare your behavior to absorb some anger. If possible,
imply that your request to reconnect with them is a modest
one. You could even offer to bring bagels for the office
during a morning meeting, or offer to take them out to
dinner.
5. For your phone icebreaker you could say, "How are you? I
ran into our mutual friend Jane Doe yesterday and it got me
thinking about you. I'm just calling to patch things up and
see how you and your family are doing. I hope I'm not
calling at a time when you can't be bothered."
The key points to remember are:
If it's a bad time for your former client, then tell them
you will call them back later in the week.
If they are still angry, then absorb the anger and say, "I
understand your anger. I hope one day you'll be able to sit
down with me over a cup of coffee and hear my side of the
story. Sorry for troubling you."
If it's a good time for them to talk, then make amends by
saying, "That's another reason for this call. I'd like to
make amends and work for you again. What happened could
never happen again. I think I could really be of help to
you. Are you available next Wednesday to meet for breakfast
or dinner"
You can re-use these great tactics to rekindle a dorment
relationship for business networking purposes. Or, you can
tell a former client about a new product or service you are
offering. Either way, you will earn the respect, and be one
step closer to attracting your former clients.
----------------------------------------------------
Kim Schott, your Global Client Communication Expert, is the
author of the Keys to Client Communication System™,
the step-by-step, paint by numbers client attraction
program to attract more clients in less time. To receive
your weekly how-to articles on consistantly attracting more
local and global clients in less time, visit
http://www.SchottCulturalConsulting.com
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