4 Ways to Create Lasting Client Relationships

The guy who sold me my Toyota last year is truly a piece of work. It was raining in the lot, and none of the salespeople came out to help me. But this guy did. With an umbrella. We drove a few vehicles around the block, and he didn’t push me too far one way or another. He didn’t act like my long-lost buddy, but he wasn’t too formal. He knew his stuff, but I still felt like I was driving the bus.

When it came time to negotiate, he was really transparent about price, value, the vehicle’s history. I could have walked away, and it would have been no big whoop. He probably would have even walked me out with the umbrella.

But what really made this guy stand out was his work station. All the other salespeople had empty cubicles, or cubicles with calendars and family photos. This guy’s walls were literally plastered with photos of his clients standing next to their new vehicles. And, of course, when I completed my sale he took my photo and put it up with the others. To this day, every two months I receive a handwritten letter from him sending best wishes and asking me to call him if anything goes wrong with my vehicle. By all means, I’m calling him for my next purchase.

A good service professional (and that is just about anyone from doctor and lawyer and real estate agent to freelance photographer and masseuse) must think long-term in every transaction by assuming that every transaction is going to lead to another, whether with that particular client or that client’s referrals.