In the world of business, you do not mix business with pleasure. Pleasure is a broad term that covers a number of behaviors that are not healthy for the survival of a business. In order to provide professional services, a business owner should have standards thus the need to identify the loopholes that can cause them to fail.
You undercharge new clients to get more yeses and resist raising your rates.
When I first began freelancing, I joined a local networking group and when I landed my first client from the group, I was elated. I felt like Sally Field in her Oscar acceptance speech, shouting, “You like me! You really like me!” Then I landed another client, and another, and another. Everyone I spoke to said yes and soon, almost every person in the networking group was a client of mine and I was proud because they all chose me. Unfortunately this came with dire consequences.
I had no life. I was working like a dog and not making very much in comparison.
It was suggested to me on more than one occasion that I raise my rates, but I resisted because it meant some people would say no — and a no meant “they don’t like me.” What I came to realize was that I was keeping my fees low so I would always get a yes — and the more yeses I got, the better I felt about myself. Yikes!
Sourced from: https://garage.godaddy.com/webpro/clients/friend-vs-service-provider/
All professional service providers have habits that make them successful. These habits do not change they simply get better and it is not too late to own them.
- Understand you – Great service providers do whatever it takes to really understand their clients and what they want and need. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many service providers seem more concerned about the project and the process than about the client.
Perhaps it’s because they assume the client only cares about results – or that they need to prove their competency and value. The thing is, these are outcomes of understanding the client – they only happen after you’ve taken the time to focus on what’s really going on, what the real problem is, what the unstated — and perhaps even unknown – needs and outcomes really are.
- Stay true – Great service providers stay true to themselves – they don’t offer up their services (or try to actually provide them) as something other than what they really are. I don’t know if people who try to take on work outside their bailiwick do it out of good intentions, you know a desire to do whatever it takes to serve the client; or if they just really need the work or the money. Regardless, they do a disservice to themselves and their clients.
Sourced from: http://deniseleeyohn.com/bites/what-great-service-providers-do/
A professional service provider is very keen on how they handle clients. They ensure that they do so carefully. They customize their responses and address issues raised as soon as possible among other things.
Too often, customers are met with overly formal responses; duplicate automated responses, long wait times and/or uninterested client support staff. On the other hand, when clients are greeted with prompt, personal responses that effectively address any issues at hand, relationships are built, customer retention goes up, and word might just start to get around about how great you are.
Sourced from: https://paysavvy.com/great-customer-service-must-payroll-software-companies/
