Long-standing relationships with your clients are just like a marriage. Secretly, they may be asking themselves, "When did the honeymoon end?" If so, it's time to spend some time and effort "hugging" your clients.

"Client retention" are big buzz words in the services market. We all know subconsciously that it is much less expensive to keep the clients we already have than it is to try to constantly find new ones. However, that's about where the buzz ends. Ask any professional services firm what kinds of client retention they practice, and they might tell you, "We send lovely Holiday cards each December" or, "We take some of our clients golfing once or twice a year". We smile cheerfully when we hear these words and remark calmly, "That's a great start. And I'm sure you know your competitors are sending cards and taking your clients golfing, too."

Recently, Dancing Elephants Achievement Group wrote an article entitled "Stronger and Deeper" (you can read the full article by clicking here). The article was about moving beyond a vendor/customer role and finding ways to strengthen your relationship with your clients. We believe strongly in this methodology and use client retention programs to help this process develop naturally. True client retention only works when you mean it. People can tell when they are being sold, or you are simply being a sycophant (a polite word for a not-so-polite term) to get the next piece of business from them. So good client retention programs start in the heart of a business - not in the pocketbook.

We know a pair of very successful financial planners. The thing that sets them apart? Their attention to their clients, and the constant reminder, on their part, that their clients are always at the forefront of their minds. They send birthday cards with handwritten notes in them. They send articles of interest, internet stories on their client's hobbies and activities, and are sure they never miss hearing about a wedding, a birth, or a death of one of their clients or client's families. Sure, they are great financial planners - but they care deeply about the people they serve. You can't fake that. You either do, or you don't.

The larger the company or firm is, the harder you must work to ensure that your clients feel loved and valued. The more people involved in the mix, the more complicated it can become. Here are a few suggestions to ensure your clients get a warm, fuzzy feeling when thinking of you:

1. Talk to your clients. And we're not talking about business, either. We have learned that communicating solely about the most pressing matter of the day does NOT leave a client feeling loved or appreciated. We are not condoning chatting on the phone all day about trivial matters. However, when you have lunch with a client, or meet with them, be sure you are paying attention to what they are saying. Sometimes the best way to learn what will help your client the most in their business life is how to help them personally as well.

2. Once you begin to know your clients well, communicate items of their interest to them. Recently we were offered tickets to an event because a vendor had remembered we liked ice skating. She listened to me, and remembered months after the fact. It was very much appreciated.

3. Create a referral situation. If your clients know that you are constantly looking to send more business their way because you know their business inside and out, they will go to the ends of the earth to do the same for you. This also helps enforce the cardinal rule of clients: make sure you are working with people you respect. It's near to impossible to successfully refer anyone or anything to someone you don't trust or respect.

4. Begin a FORMAL client satisfaction survey process. Yes, we mean formal. That means developing a questionnaire, finding a third party to run it for you, and communicating to your clients that this is a high priority to you and asking them for their help. We have seen our clients achieve huge success with client satisfaction initiatives. In many cases, problem areas were brightly, albeit painfully, illuminated. This allowed our clients to nip problems in the bud, before it cost them clients (and money). It also powerfully communicated that our clients cared about their clients, and wanted to hear what they had to say, good or bad. Repeating the process at least annually is very important for benchmarking purposes. And finally, don't try to do it yourself. Your clients will not be honest if you are their primary point of contact. No one wants to hurt someone's feelings, so ask a person in your office who is not involved with the client to do the interview, or hire a third party to do the interviews. Don't forget to send thank-you letters when the survey has been completed, and let them know you are acting on their suggestions.

Client retention is an intangible thing. But if you don't do it, your losses will soon become very tangible - with every client you lose.