5 Creative Relationship Management Tips to Make Someone Say “WOW, I Want to Be Your Client”



"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." - e. e. cummings -






Free cups of coffee for voters. (Starbucks.) Free overnight shipping for randomly selected customers. (Zappos.) Free hotel stays (Microtel Inns & Suites).



These are all ways businesses have “surprised and delighted” customers by going well beyond the call of duty with a creative, novel act of generosity that says, “You are having an experience.”

Create a moment that knocks a customer out of their routine, and you instantly build a stronger relationship. You’re also almost guaranteeing that they’re going to pass that story on: “Guess what happened to me today?” Boom! Word of mouth.



“Surprise and delight” isn't a new idea, but I wanted to remind people that creative gifts aren't just a strategy for corporations. I got to thinking about it this week when a friend shared with me the story of a meeting he'd just had with a potential vendor; afterwards, she not only paid for his parking but gave the attendant a kind message to pass on to him as well.



Point is, you don’t have to have a multimillion dollar company to go above and beyond with creative gifts or acts of kindness that tell clients – or even employees, colleagues, friends, or loved ones – that you’re paying attention. In fact, the best way to surprise and delight is to do exactly that: PAY ATTENTION. Seek out small details that you can surprise people with later.



That said, here’s a few of my own techniques that I’ve used to jog people from the “business as usual” frame of mind that gets in the way of making true connections. [Click 'more' to read them!]



1. Bring on the Bucks. On the way to a meeting, I’ll call the contact’s admin and casually let them know I’m stopping at Starbuck’s – “Can I get anything for you? How about your boss?”



2. Bon appétit! Talk to their admin. Find out when they’ve got a personal dinner planned. Call the restaurant and, depending on the level of the relationship, let the host know that you’d like to either send them a dessert, a bottle of wine, or pay their entire bill.



3. Happy birthday. It doesn't take much to shoot a contact an email on their birthday. Sometimes I like to make a phone call instead. You’d be surprised how much such a call can make a difference to someone.



4. Send a Christmas card – on Thanksgiving. Or Valentine’s Day. Or St. Paddy’s. This is an oldie but goodie that I recommended in Never Eat Alone and have done every year since. Why be one card in a million at Christmastime when you can claim a lesser day as your own, and use that day to shout out to contacts with your unique card? Pick Groundhog Day and I guarantee you’ll stand out.



5 .Hello, how may I help you? Are you the owner of a business with a dedicated customer service line? Every so often – maybe once a month – man it for an hour. Explain when you answer that you’re the owner of the company and you’re working the phones today so that you can personally serve your customers. Even if you have to hand them off to someone who knows the gritty details better then you, making that connection will make a lasting impression.



How about you? How have you surprised and delighted the people in your life and business?