In my last post I talked about the importance of listening and of beginning to develop a relationship with prospective clients in order to customize your product or service offerings in a way that speaks to their needs. This is not the end of the ball game. In fact, it isn’t even the seventh inning stretch. It is the beginning of a relationship that will benefit both of you.

If you have won the confidence of the prospect and made that prospect a client, you must deliver on the (perhaps implicit) promise of quality products or services delivered in a way that meets the client’s expectations. Now you must continue to build the relationship with your client.

Building the client relationship allows you to become the person who best knows and understands the client’s needs and how to meet those needs. You do this by

• continuing to listen to the client
• providing regular added value to the relationship or the paid services or products
• investing your experience and knowledge in the client’s struggles or challenges to create solutions of value to the client
• delivering those solutions in the way the client desires at the time the client desires
• continuing to listen to the client and demonstrating that you value the client (and not just the revenue from the client)

Putting the focus on the client and the client’s needs and demonstrating your interest in meeting those needs will go a long way toward building a long-term client relationship that is of continuing value to you and to the client.  You will probably discover that, like most relationships, you will receive as much or more than you give.