Hot Take: Communication, authenticity, education and empathy are key to fostering great client relationships.
Throughout the last six and a half years at Genoa Black our team has had the opportunity to work with almost 700 businesses, many of whom we still work with today. We have multiple processes in place to gain feedback from our clients on a regular basis to ensure we are always focusing on delivering excellent results and providing the best possible client experience.
Our recent Recommended Agencies Register report, an independent annual survey which gives our clients the opportunity to rate us, scored an impressive 9.5 out of 10 for client experience. Whilst we are obviously delighted with this score, never the type to settle, I have given some thought to what truly does build the best client relationships.
Communication
It may seem obvious but good communication is at the heart of any strong client relationship. I don’t just mean the way in which we communicate, but how, what and when. In order to communicate effectively with our clients we need to really get to know them and build knowledge of how both they and their business operate. From emails to video conferencing, WhatsApp to face to face meetings, consideration as to the preferred communication method for our clients is as important as what we are communicating and the time at which we choose to do so. By building knowledge of our clients preferred communication type we are able to deliver to this and in turn strengthen our relationship with them.
Authenticity
At Genoa Black we are often known for our challenging, direct and refreshing approach to doing business and at the heart of this approach is authenticity. We are only able to add maximum value to a business when they are completely transparent with us and in turn, we are only able to build strong relationships when we are honest with them. This is particularly relevant to the evaluation of client projects and ongoing marketing activity. It is only by effective evaluations we can have an open conversation with a client about what is working and what quite frankly, does not. It is these harder conversations that build stronger relationships.
Empathy
Having worked with so many different businesses over the past few years, we have developed a huge amount of empathy for some of the situations our clients find themselves in. Whether it be celebrating their successes or supporting them through a challenging period, our ability to empathise with them builds the strongest relationships. Some of our strongest client relationships to date have been forged at their most challenging times and it is those that we can enjoy the successes with all the more.
Education
They say you learn something new every day, and my experience at Genoa Black is just that, and then some more! From subsea to sauces, technology to trailers it continues to amaze me just how much we can learn from our clients. The relationships we have built with our clients I like to consider as a learning journey, and it works both ways. The value we are able to add not just from a strategic marketing perspective but from cross-sector learnings, market knowledge and personal networks to name a few, is invaluable for strengthening our client relationships.