Guidelines for *Staying* in Business

As "soloists" -- entrepreneurs, webpreneurs, SOHOs, HONOs
(Home Office, No Office), or plain old small businesspeople,
we must remember that without a business, i.e., a profit-
making business, we have a hobby -- & we have to go get a
job-job just to pay the lousy bills.

Furthermore, without clients, we don't have a business. In
order to survive and get that new client or return business,
we need to establish guidelines in dealing with clients.

1. The client or prospective client is never an interruption
of your work. The client is the reason you are in business.
The client must have your complete attention. Do not
multitask while speaking with your client or potential
client.

2. Always greet clients and prospective clients with a
friendly smile or hello. Clients are people, and they like
friendly and pleasant contact. They will usually return it.

3. Call clients and prospects by name. It is important to
call your clients and their staff by name. Keep name and
contact records of your clients. Before calling or visiting
a site, pull the record and study it.

4. You are the company. In the eyes of the client, you
represent your business. If you are one of the lucky ones
who have several techs working for you, training them well
will reflect on your company and you. Ditto your
receptionist, or whomever answers your phone.

5. Never argue with a client. From his or her point of view,
the client is always right. Be a good listener, agree when
you can, and do what you can to make your clients happy,
even if it involves a freebie (a small one). It is more
valuable to give a free service and keep your clients than
lose them. Most of the time. As one of my consultant buddies
taught me several years ago, "Sometimes, no work is better
than bad work."

6. Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know" (once in a while).
If you don't know the answer to a client's question, say,
"That's a good question. Let me see if I can find out for
you." Even the most skilled IT professional can't remember
everything. Become an expert on where to find the answers to
your client's questions. Be sure to respond in a timely
manner. Remember, the client pays your fee.

7. State comments in a positive way. Choosing positive and
motivating words when speaking with a client will show you
are a skilled communicator, and it will keep your client
interested.

8. Surprise every client (in a good way!). Give your new or
existing clients something of extra value at no charge that
will increase your worth to them in their eyes.

9. Go the extra mile. Always do more than the client
expects. While delivering a training program to a large
telecommunications firm's customer service representatives,
one of the participants told me she had been having a
problem getting hypertext links to open from her emails. I'd
had the same kind of problem before, so I took a look. An
upgrade to the company's email program had turned that
feature off. I ran a quick executable from a Command Prompt
window, and voila! the problem was solved. That participant
happened to be the Manager of Technical Support. I now have
a long-term contract to deliver a broad range of training
for that company, plus I deliver several speeches at the
company's conventions and meetings every year.

10. Be on time! One of the most aggravating things to a
client is when you're late or don't show up. Avoid saying,
"I'll be there between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m." Your client's
time is as valuable as your own. If you are taking longer
than expected on a call, notify the client that you will be
delayed and give them the option to reschedule.

11. Be worthy of a referral. The next time you are working
on a project for a client, remember, they are (usually)
experts in their own fields and communicate with many other
friends in similar businesses. Offer the client a referral
fee or a discount for referrals. Put a referral code on the
back of your business cards so you can track referrals as
they come in.