You are 5 times more likely to win more work from existing clients rather than new ones and existing clients are more likely to spend more money with you.
It makes perfect sense then for you to focus some of your efforts in growing your existing client accounts however, most agencies fail to spend as much time and effort in doing this as they do chasing new sales, working on new pitches and growing their list of clients.
As an agency owner or a business owner wanting to grow your existing client accounts here’s some things you might want to consider as part of your plan to sell more to existing clients.
- Make sure your team understand the importance of client relationships and account management
Client delivery and getting work out of the door is important. Obviously. But when the team is so focused on delivery the importance of building and nurturing client relationships is often forgotten. Only when you have a solid relationship and a real insight into the client’s world can you really add value and spot opportunities to develop your client accounts. Explain to your team that it’s as important to build the relationship as it is to get the work done and out of the door. Once you’ve explained it once, you’ve got to keep reminding them how important this is.
- Proactively plan for the growth – don’t just cross your fingers and hope for the best.
I see agency owners and freelancers who passively rely on doing a good job so the client comes back again. That’s great when that happens but it’s not a reliable strategy for your business growth. If you know that there’s opportunity for more work with a client and that you can grow your accounts by doing more work for them it is your responsibility to manage that opportunity. It doesn’t take much for a client to be swept off their feet by a flash new agency or for them to give another freelancer “a try”.
- Allocate time for client development
Like anything in your business, if it’s important then you have to allocate time to it. But all too often I see agency owners task their teams with spotting opportunities for client development but then don’t address issues with workload or internal operations which takes their focus away from client development and eats away at their time. Growing your existing client accounts doesn’t just happen without you addressing some of the concerns the team may have with doing that.
- Have the tools available to do the selling
The teams and the people within your business that are responsible for client relationships need to have the skills and tools available to them to sell to existing clients. These toolkits usually come down to understanding why it’s important to the agency and also to the client (see point 1 above), being able to ask the right questions, knowing what stories and case studies that will help them tell a story and hold a conversation with clients and what services you can offer to help your client. Importantly you want them to know what’s expected and how to turn an opportunity into a sale. Do they escalate the enquiry to you or if you’re taking the lead on the client development what you should do next….schedule a meeting, write a proposal or just get on with it?
- Regularly review your progress and reward success
Monitoring your progress and sharing information about what each team member knows about the client you’re working with is also key. Having a forum to share information and discuss potential opportunities allows you as a leader to get buy in from your team. Monitor your progress in developing the opportunity against your sales forecast and reward your teams when they achieve what’s asked of them. If a team member wins a new piece of work from a client then celebrate that!
Growing existing client accounts doesn’t happen overnight but it is more than possible if you dedicate time and have a focus on doing that.
I help agency owners and their teams develop strategies and the skills to grow their existing client accounts.
Want to know more?
Book a call with me here to chat about how I can help you do that. https://calendly.com/delyth
