Lessons for SEO Entrepreneurs From the Clients That Left

No business likes to lose clients, even when it’s not anybody’s fault. Especially as a starter in the field of search engine optimization with little business to speak of, every potential deal that doesn’t close, or parting with clients after one or more jobs, can be a huge blow, both to the owner and business.

However, it doesn’t always have to be a tragic experience when a client decides to part ways with you. Try to find out what went wrong. Discover what you could have done better so that you can implement the same with future and remaining clients. You can lose the client, but never the lesson.

Clients opt to part ways with their web marketing firm for a host of reasons: budgetary constraints, the end of a campaign for which the company had been hired, decision by management to change service providers for any reason, internal restructuring within a company, among others.

A final handshake with a client can be rather devastating to any SEO entrepreneur. However, you have to forge ahead and continue to serve new clients with information gathered from previous interactions.

Here are three lessons that you won’t have to learn first-hand:

1. Be open-minded and communicative

In any field of entrepreneurship, SEO included, you won’t get far with a narrow-minded, one-track view of how things should go down. This is especially important in the initial stages of client interactions, since you still don’t know that kind of person your client is and how they like to work.

At the start, take up different channels of communication with prospective and existing clients.From calling on official lines and texting on cells to emails and instant messaging,study how clients respond to each channel before settling on the most convenient and suitable. Also, you can just ask them how and when they prefer to be contacted.

Iron out the details of your communication – how often you will be communicating, through which channels, what kind of reports they need, among others. It’s upon you as the service provider to make contact and ensure that you stay in communication.

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A few resources on improving communication

Dealing with challenging clients - Distilled’s Craig Bradford, in his article, advises that problems that cannot be solved by communication can almost always be prevented by it. He adds that communication should not only be limited to formal subjects. You can call a client on Monday to find out how the weekend was, or after a vacation.

Even where calling frequently is difficult, such as with international clients, make effort to talk often, especially with clients from way back. He advises demonstrating genuine concern for their business, which will help especially when a problem arises. He also emphasizes the importance of keeping written records and tailoring monthly reports to offer a client real value.

In Keys to better communication with clients, author Jeremy Girard describes a prospective client who went looking for new service providers because he was unsatisfied with the team he worked with then. Delving further, the author discovered that it had nothing to do with their work, which was satisfactory and reasonably priced.

The client’ s problem was that this team, while it offered regular reports and updates, the language they used was too technical, hence he could scarcely understand them. Jeremy further explains how to improve client relations by speaking a language they understand.

He also describes how you can improve the client’s end of communication, advising that whenever a client seems distressed, call them at the first chance to make things right.

Uncovering client needs – Digital Marketer John Tabita provides useful tips on understanding a client’s need by asking smart, direct questions. Most clients get peeved when dealing with salespeople and service providers for three reasons:

• They don’t listen
• They fail to understand what the client needs
• They just keep talking

Powerful, directed questions that stimulate a client to think (and rethink) add value as they improve your understanding of the client’s state so that you can offer better solutions. Just like an interview, you can’t talk too much or too little; a healthy balance should be struck between the two extremes.

He also advises note-taking so that you don’t ask clients to keep repeating information already given. In addition, it’ll come in handy should the client agree to work with you on verbal terms and should you need to refer back to the conversation later. At meetings, begin from more general to specific/targeted questions. And don’t mess with the client’s ‘groove’ (their pattern of behavior).

Conclusion

Let your clients know that you are always available to be contacted through the channels convenient for you both so that they can reach you if they need to. If you might become unreachable, inform the client in advance (especially if you know they expect something from you) and let them know how to get what they need while you are away.

2. Stay on top of your clients’ schedules

At the beginning of your relationship, it may be easy to clash with a client because of a mismatch in schedules. One thing is certain: you will encounter clients who change schedules, or cannot be reached, or unexplainably delay the information that you need to do your job.

Dealing with delays

As much as possible, try to determine schedules at the outset and help the clients understand how delays on their part will affect their project schedules,especially where projects are paid on delivery rather than through periodic payment plans. This is because, for every delayed project, you are losing a chance to make your money as agreed.

Reasonably establish that delays on the clients’ part will delay the project release date by an equivalent amount of time. You may also discuss delay fees if the period extends beyond some mutually agreed-upon duration. This article on implementing agile billing cycles provides useful tips on how to negotiate with clients that don’t stick to timelines, or who keep changing schedules.

Should you need to edit terms of contracts to cater for delays, you can find out how to negotiate better terms. This also includes uncertain starting dates, pauses and cancellations. The major takeaway is to place these scenarios on the table at the outset so that if such events occur, the client knows what you expect.

Dealing with busy clients

Sometimes you’ll deal with clients who are too busy for any sort of consistency. If you do, arrange your work and report more efficiently. Try to go through as much as you need to in one meeting. This way, if you don’t connect regularly, you won’t be stalled without client approval.

If you need to find out-of-box-ways to connect with slippery clients without breaking your bank account, this article offers useful tips. From social media to playing golf (if you’re into golf), out-of-office activities provide a good setting to pitch to clients, discuss monthly reports and set the tone for the following period. Activities like golf can win you a few hours with a client, and the informal setting helps conversation to flow better.

Managing your own schedule

One helpful method is going by weekly schedules. Have a planner to schedule different tasks and appointments, and note any future plans with clients. At the end of each week, recap what was done and said, and then plan for the next week accordingly.

This article on prioritizing your work day provides useful tips on identifying how you spend your time and prioritizing for better returns. Your first priority is taking care of your business – this is not selfish. Keeping your own affairs in order will help you serve clients better. Next, take care of your current clients’ needs and then focus on getting new business after.

You can also delegate what you don’t have to do yourself to free up more time. Understand what needs your personal attention and what doesn’t so that you have time to deal with the above priorities. Lastly, you can learn how to create a workable routine once you have priorities and tasks streamlined.

Conclusion

As you plan for each week, confirm meeting and calls that were scheduled weeks or months in advance in case the client forgot, or something changed and you didn’t know. Also, practice due diligence when delays come from your end. This could save you both a lot of time and frustration.

3. Avoid messy breakups

It doesn’t matter if the reason for a delay and eventual falling-out was the client’s fault. Being SEO software and services entrepreneur does not allow you the option of messy breakups, since this is business that relies very heavily on referrals.

Turning away clients

This article on saying no to clients provides information on assessing when it’s appropriate to turn a client away and how to do so professionally. Establish a partnership with a peer so that you can send clients to them if you’re fully booked and they do the same. By directing a client to a place they can get help, they leave with a good impression of your business, and that leaves the door open for them to come back at a later stage when you are less busy.

If you’re turning them away because they aren’t a right fit e.g. you don’t specialize in the kind of services they need, or they want something bigger (or smaller) than you have capacity for, also refer them to someone who does, and invite them back if they ever need your kind of work done.

The hardest part is turning a client away because they’re problematic. You can’t refer them to a friend/colleague since you know them. The author provides two options: professional honesty and professional evasiveness. In the first instance, let them know the exact problem and see if a solution can be formulated. If this fails, you can be evasive and say for instance that your schedule has become too tight for you to offer them good service.

Foreseeable endings

If the ending is foreseeable, for instance if you were hired for a single contract, ensure that you end on an extremely positive note. Keep reporting and conversing with them until the last minute. Keep track of your project even after you are done and call them to ask how it’s going after some time. This will encourage them to hire you in case another job comes up, or for routine work as needed.

If you are being removed for budgetary reasons, or in favor of another provider, take it in stride and ask them why they are electing to go with the other service over you. Not only do you learn what you can do better, but it also gives you a chance to negotiate terms that might see you remain. However, don’t lower your rates beyond what’s reasonable just to keep one client.

Losing clients is a disheartening experience, but if you can carry away a lesson and make your services better, then your business will be better for it.