People crave emotional connections. They want to work with people they know, like and trust. When you connect with your clients in deeper, more meaningful ways, you can win their repeat business, inspire more referrals and get more glowing reviews. But, you have to earn your clients’ loyalty. They want to be treated like a valued partner, not just another customer in your database, Sopia Bernazzani points out in a HubSpot blog post.

So, what can you do to inspire your clients to love you and keep coming back? First, you can meet your clients’ needs, and then you can focus on delighting them by giving them more than they are expecting. We share a few of Bernazzani’s tips for giving and getting more client love in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Highlight clients through case studies. While case studies can help promote your capabilities, the clients you spotlight will also get valuable exposue. Feature happy clients on your blog or social media pages. Showcasing clients as success stories can help show them some love while showing prospective buyers how you could help them, too.

Give exclusive access. Treat your clients like VIPs by giving them early or exclusive access to new products, services, or offers, recommends Bernazzani. They’ll feel special for getting access to something valuable, and you’ll benefit from receiving their feedback.

Let your personality shine through. It can be a hard to love a business, but loving a sales rep who works for a business? Much easier. You can inspire more client love by being personal, relatable and interesting, says Bernazzani. Make it fun to work with you so that your clients look forward to your conversations.

Maximize social media. According to Bernazzani, social media is ideal for spreading customer love, whether you mention your clients in your posts or you engage with the content they share. The simple act of sharing, liking or retweeting can show your clients you care about them and what’s going on in their world.

Request feedback. Another way to inspire more client love is to find out how you can better serve your clients. From quick email surveys to more in-depth focus groups, there are many ways you can learn how to make your client experience even better. This commitment to improvement makes you lovable, says Bernazzani.

Show your appreciation. One of the simplest ways you can show your clients how much you value their business is to express your gratitude. Bernazzani recommends taking every opportunity to think your customers. They chose to work with you over your competitors, so don’t take that choice for granted.

Spark delight. Your clients expect to receive the products or services they purchased from you. However, you can surprise them with something unexpected, like a handwritten thank-you note or a logoed gift. Everyone likes to feel special. By finding small ways to delight your clients, you can make their love grow.

Showing your clients more love doesn’t require any grand gestures or huge monetary investments. You can show them how much you value them by thanking them more often, surprising them occasionally with a gift or discount or giving them a shout-out on social media. When you give your customers love, they’ll almost always return the love back to you in the form of repeat business.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Sophia Bernazzani started and managed the HubSpot Service Blog.