"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude."

Cynthia Ozick

As we start off or time together, I ask you to give thought to your clients, as this this quote highlights how people frequently overlook and fail to appreciate the most important aspects in their lives.

It suggests that we should be more mindful and grateful for the fundamental things that contribute to our well-being and happiness, such as your clients. I believe recognizing and appreciating them can lead to a more fulfilling and content sales life.

Keeping your clients front and center for a moment... Taking them for granted can lead to a sense of complacency. When you fail to appreciate what you have, you risk losing sight of their importance to your sales sustainability.

You must cherish your most prized asset, your clients.

By actively recognizing and appreciating your clients, the one's you may take for granted, you soon start to cultivate a more positive mindset, strengthen your relationships, and enhance your overall sales well-being.

One enormous obstacle for many in sales is the juggling of new business growth while trying to retain and grow their current clients.

Let's face it, choosing where to spend your energy and how to divvy up your time can be challenging.

Successful sales professionals understand the importance of maintaining and growing outstanding client relationships.

Just a tad bit curious... Why have some salespeople become lazy when it comes to maintaining their client relationships?

WHAT DRIVES LAZINESS WITH SALESPEOPLE?

Taking things for granted is an awful mistake we all make. A huge and unfortunate strategic error many in sales make is taking their clients for granted.

Why might this occur?

1. Familiarity: As the relationship starts to settle, they become accustomed or acclimated, and soon start to overlook their value.

2. Complacency: Success can breed a false sense of security, leading some in sales to believe that good things will continue without effort.

3. Assumption of continuance: Some may often subconsciously believe that what they have now will always be there, their clients. The biggest problem with taking your customers for granted is that they will find someone who won't. Never ever ever take a single client for granted, especially in a world where there is so much choice.

Unfortunately, many in sales have learned this the hard way. Once their clients go elsewhere, many in sales soon start to realize their value.

Even satisfied clients require consistent attention and care.

The strategic errors many in sales make with their clients soon become costly to them in the long-run.

Things such as:

1. Neglecting long-term clients in favor of new prospects

2. Failing to stay up-to-date on clients' evolving needs

3. Assuming clients will always choose you over competitors

4. Not consistently demonstrating value to existing clients

5. Overlooking small gestures of appreciation

How many of you are forgetting the little things, the simple things, when it comes to your clients?

Client retention, loyalty and the inspirational experience you provide become the foundation to your sales survival

Don't take your clients for granted or you will struggle to grow your sales.

Going From I Can't Live Without You, To Becoming A Vendor

Has it ever crossed your mind regarding how your clients feel about you and the level of attentiveness you show them?

What's going on inside their head? What might they be telling their fellow co-workers? What might they be saying to other people just like them?

It's quite possible that some of your clients who were enamored with you in the beginning and what you did for them, however as the months and years pass you've become commonplace to them.

They adapted to you. They forgot what life was like before you entered their business life.

Now, they take you for granted and all your empty suit ways. You’re no longer that wonder, you’re now a vendor.

Hey salespeople... how do customers treat vendors?

They whack you with the price hammer. They whip you for concessions. They whip you for freebies and you allow them.

Stop, think, reflect and now ask yourself the following...

• Why did my clients decide to do business with me in the first place?

• What was life like before they met me?

"There is absolutely nothing that can be taken for granted in this world."

Robert Anton Wilson

Never Lose A Client Again, Essential Protection Tactics

How can you protect your client base from erosion? Quite simple, you must stop taking your clients for granted.

Not to cast a dark shadow during our time together, but it's quite possible that your current client base has never been more vulnerable than it is right now.

Here's the opportunity... I encourage you to flip this on its head, attack your competition and their complacent, taking for granted mindset; to drive enormous sales opportunities, conversations and growth.

Head on over to the website by clicking here.

Achieving success, it's about removing the obstacles, and getting a bit more tactical around the following three areas.

1. STOP ASSUMING YOUR CLIENTS KNOW THE VALUE YOU BRING

According to Albert Einstein,

“Assumptions are made and most assumptions are wrong.”

Here's your first mirror moment...

• Without a shadow of a doubt, do you really know the value that you're delivering to your clients?

• Are you providing them what they truly value more effectively than your competitors?

In this hyper-competitive sales landscape, you cannot assume any longer. Just because your clients continue to do business with you year over year doesn't mean anything any longer.

All this means is they don't know any better than what they know.

Second mirror moment...

When's the last time asked your client's "What value do I, our services and our products create for you?" I am waiting for your answer, still waiting, still waiting; this is what I thought, it's been a while nor never.

Can we agree that your clients want to increase their sales and grow their client base?

Let's pause for a moment as you grab a sheet of paper and pen. Now, I would like for you to answer the following questions:

• How do I help my client's gain a competitive advantage?

• What's my client's perception of value in working with me?

To understand the meaning of value, you must first put yourself in their shoes and see the world through their eyes.

By truly putting yourself in your clients' shoes, you gain a deeper understanding of what they value and why.

This insight allows you to create and communicate value more effectively, leading to stronger relationships, better products/services, and ultimately, greater success for the both of you.

2. STOP ASSUMING YOUR CLIENTS REALLY KNOW WHO YOU ARE

Create true, authentic and meaningful relationships by spending informal time with your clients. This will help you to better understand them and their businesses.

Unpack and gain clarity around what’s important to them and their business; the return will far outweigh the investment.

Third mirror moment...

How well do you really know your clients and how well do they know you?

With extreme amounts of intentionality, start actively listening to your clients. Pay attention to their concerns, fears, and aspirations. This assists you in addressing their needs more effectively as you build your empathy muscle.

Start by becoming a bit more transparent with them. Be open about your business practices, values, and goals. This may soon start to bridge the trust gap and helps your clients gain a better understand around what you stand for.

With all sincerity, when you get to know your clients inside and out, you can soon start personalizing the attention you provide to them.

I am true believer that true leadership in sales is the ability to affect change and influence people.

The more you can lead with a servant's heart the better off you will be in the long run. The aim is to be seen as a trusted adviser.

When your input is greatly appreciated, it’s less likely your clients will engage with your competition.

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships"

Henry Winkler

3. STOP TREATING YOUR CLIENTS AS CUSTOMERS

Throughout our entire time together I have used the word client or clients as opposed to customer or customers. How many of you have caught onto this?

Customers buy things, clients seek advice.

Fourth mirror moment...

Do you view your customers as customers, or do you view them as clients? How many of you view them as clients but treat them as customers?

How do you know when a customer becomes a client, or the other way around? When a client becomes a customer, this soon starts to become a problem.

Are you building customers or are you building clients?

Plain and simple, you cannot go to Walmart and have a Nordstrom's experience.

Ponder this one for a moment, the contrast between clients and customers, and now reflect...

Would you rather be paid for what you do for your clients or what you hand them, that being your products or services?

START REFRAMING YOUR MINDSET

I encourage you to ditch the customer centric mindset and adhere to a client centric mindset.

Focus on sustaining long-term relationships: Engage in continuous communication with your clients, as you adapt to their changing needs. This ongoing engagement demonstrates your commitment to their success and opens up opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.

In doing so, you will attract and retain relationships, command premium prices, develop brand loyalty (YOU), create loyal client relationships thus generating more revenue over the life cycle of a relationship.

“Always remember that everyone with whom you have a relationship has an invisible sign on their forehead that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Treat them accordingly.”

Eric Philip Cowell

Do this and you will never lose a client again.

Originally published on Larry Levine's LinkedIn.