Six ways to manage your client relationships better - triSearch

Six ways to manage your client relationships better

Client maintaining client relationships

As a conveyancer, client relationships are at the heart of your business and with the average homeowner moving every 12 years, there’s always the chance of receiving repeat business from most people you work with. And that’s without considering any investments they might have their eyes on.

Aside from repeat business, word-of-mouth recommendations also have a major impact on your success winning new clients. A Nielson study found as many as 92 per cent of people would trust recommendations from their friends and family above all other forms of advertising.

So, there’s no doubt that it’s important to impress all your clients from the moment you’re instructed to act. Here are some of the most effective ways you can strengthen your client relationships to entice them back and encourage them to advocate your services.

Adopt a ‘face-to-face first’ approach

Everyone is busy, but don’t assume that your clients would always prefer to talk with you over the phone or communicate via email just to save time.

Without the benefit of body language and tone, remote communications aren’t as effective at helping your clients navigate the stressful transactions and tough decisions they’re sometimes faced with in property dealings.

Offering clients every opportunity to talk face-to-face about what you’re doing for them will likely lead to increased confidence and a stronger and more personable bond that truly sets you apart in the market.

Be realistic about client relationships process and deadlines

From the outset, spend some time with your client mapping out the steps you will be taking to help them complete their transaction and give a realistic timeframe for deliverables – especially if it’s their first experience.

As part of this, it’s also important to explain the risks and consequences of any unforeseen eventualities.

By taking this approach, you’ll avoid suffering any damage to your own reputation as a result of delays that are beyond your control.

Meanwhile, if there are any unexpected detours from the pathway you’ve discussed, your client is more likely to understand the implications on your scope of work and costs.

But there’s no doubt clients value speed and efficiency wherever possible, which is why triSearch’s automated property search tool is ideal for giving you a head start with your due diligence.

Don’t be siloed in your approach to clients

Many of your clients will probably make multiple attempts at buying properties – especially in a hot market. In these circumstances, each time one of your clients is interested in a property, they may call upon you to review contracts before placing an offer or attending an auction.

So, don’t treat it like the end of the road when a client’s bid or offer isn’t successful; instead, you have an opportunity to make a more personable connection with your clients by regularly checking-in on their property hunt and offering some friendly help or support where appropriate.

Be transparent, but also tactful to maintain client relationships

Being instructed to carry out due diligence means you’re sometimes required to deliver disappointing news. For example, if you’ve discovered through your searches that a client’s desired property is subject to compulsory purchase, it’s your job to raise the red flag.

While conveyancing may be your day job, your clients will appreciate some recognition of the human emotions that may be involved in the news you’re delivering.

Formalities and professionalism in your communications should always be appropriately balanced with personable language and tone.

Avoid information overload

While it’s important to show value, knowledge and insight to your clients, you should always be careful not to overload them with so much information they feel confused or paralysed over what to do next (or even isolated from the transaction at play).

To ensure clients always feel connected with you and the transactions they’re involved in, aim to help them properly understand the decisions they must make and the implications of these.

Often, that means mastering the art of simplifying complexities and minimising background noise.

Communicate often

A lot is at stake for clients engaged in property transactions – after all, they’re a big financial undertaking. So, it can be incredibly beneficial to your client relationships when you show that you don’t take anything for granted.

In other words, if there is a small delay in the process or a trivial piece of information to share, choosing to call your client instead sending an email or staying silent can give them much more confidence in your integrity and willingness to answer related questions.

As a conveyancer, you’ll likely be dealing with facts, figures, technicalities and legalities daily – they’re at the heart of your business’ service offering.

However there’s also a strong human element too. When it comes to retaining and winning clients, quite often, it’ll be the personal touches of your service and strength of your relationships that’ll make the difference between your business and a competitor.

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