Everyone gets distracted over a holiday. And December is the worst holiday month due to all the holiday parties, year-end close, and the numerous days off. So how do you renew client relationships in January and remind them why they worked with you in the prior year?
If you are like most sales people, consultants or service providers, it always takes a few weeks to get back into the groove. Well, guess what, your customers are the same. So while you are trying to re-ignite your business, so are they. They are likely very internal-focused.
This means you are low consultant on the totem pole. A last priority. Unless you change the environment and remind them of your value.
How do you do that? Here's how:
1. Get an early meeting scheduled ' even if it's just to say hello for 30 minutes
Maybe there's an extra holiday gift you forgot to drop off, an article or book you think they might like or a favorite tea that might warm them up in the winter months.
2. Write a 'year in review' email highlighting successes where you made a contribution.
Create it in a way that it can be easily forwarded to higher-ups and team members. A great passive re-introduction for you.
3. Offer to buy lunch for the team and hand-deliver it.
While there, re-connect with as many people as possible ' especially the meeting schedulers and gatekeepers. Your smiling face offers a chance for people to re-connect physically and your next phone call will be more easily picked up.
4. Put on a lunch and learn.
But make it light and fun (the food and the content). Help them kick off a great new year with relevant content that's tied to a January initiative.
5. Use social media sites or a blog post to praise someone or highlight a team's success story in 2012.
Everyone like to be praised or highlighted. Especially if a large population has the potential to see it. Of course it has to be genuine. Not a stretch of the truth. No ass-kissing here (to be blunt). You can also go re-tweet their content or like and comment on their Facebook page. Or maybe click on a few targeted LinkedIn endorsements?
What are your tricks to renewing client relationships in January?
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