Can You Get There from Here?

I recently attended an amazing voiceover workshop in Seattle taught by Pat Fraley. During a conversation with the other voice talents, I was asked, “What would be your ultimate gig?” It took me a slice of a second to reply, “Narrate a documentary on one of ‘The’ TV channels.” What do I mean by a ‘The’ channel? Well, that’s any one of the cable channels that starts with ‘The.’ The Discovery Channel. The Science Channel. The History Channel. The Food Channel. There are several more but these are the ones that come to mind for most folks. I’ve set this goal as one that I’m working toward and it drives me to improve my skills, business and creativity, as a voice talent.

I Think it’s important in any line of work that professionals continue to learn and keep perspectives fresh. While maintaining your clients satisfaction by fulfilling their expectations is probably on the top of your list, the same clients may be amazed by your services or deliverables if you exceeded their expectations. Do the unexpected to add value, either directly or indirectly. Because you are learning or coming up with new ideas about your business, those bits of extra value will be easy to apply.

10 Ideas to get you started (but there are many more!)

1. Complete the project early
2. Followup to find out if there is anything else they need
3. Invoice Promptly
4. Make Social Networking Connections
5. Don’t be afraid to use the phone to communicate with your clients
6. Go beyond your borders
7. Read a book or take a class about freelance or small business marketing
8. Write a monthly client newsletter and highlight (with permission) a few of your clients
9. Take acting classes or get involved with community theater
10. Take time for yourself. You’ll be surprised what a little away time can do for you.

Much of the work we do does not happen behind the microphone. As independent voice talent, we market our skills; make connections with prospective clients; negotiate terms, conditions and rates with new clients and maintain professional relationships with existing partners. And, we give life to words; engineer our own sessions; edit files so what we record can be used immediately; and stay on top of all that technology, which lets us work from the comfort of our home studio. There is so much to our business.

Working toward your big goal or ultimate client and keeping your business fresh can be done simultaneously. Each supports the other as you travel your voice talent path. The new business skills you learn and develop today will help you engage with your clients at a higher, more valuable level. Your desire to attain your goal, will feed your passion to be better than you were yesterday. Larger opportunities will make themselves available and build your confidence upon successful completion. By the time you connect with the thing for which you’re striving, you’ll be ready to take it on with ease.

I encourage you to identify ways to make your business more than what it is today. Move forward so that tomorrow you’ll be prepared to fulfill your expectations.

Other posts you might find interesting:

• VoiceWorld Toronto, It’s a Voice Conference
• JewelBeat: A New Royalty Free Music Source
• Five Tips for Better Client/Talent Workflow

A Client Could Go Missing

I like to be organized. It’s part of my being. Sometimes, I find myself getting caught up in the details of organizing and lose focus of the actual goal. It’s like a football team where the quarterback does an excellent job calling the play and getting the line set but never passes the ball to the receiver. Make sense? Or, how about this one. Imagine getting all the ingredients together to bake a delicious German Chocolate cake. You spent time preparing the pans, preheating the oven and precisely measuring all the ingredients. But, sadly you don’t mix and bake the cake.

Since I know I have this problem getting caught up in the minutiae of things, I look for ways to keep myself focused and moving forward. One of the tools that keeps me on track is a Customer (or Client) Relationship Manager (CRM) application I use. If you’re not familiar with this type of software, it’s used to keep all the most meaningful information about clients in one easy to access location.

When CRM works, it makes dealing with my clients a dream. The beauty of it is that I can retrieve the details of projects, phone conversations, and e-mail and know when I was last in contact with a particular client. I can create tasks and connect them to specific clients. I create categories for clients I need to follow up with and prospects I need to create introductions to. I also use it for sending my monthly e-mail campaign. It makes the task of working with clients so much easier.

Recently, the developers of my CRM application apparently stopped supporting it. There hasn’t been an update since last October. The developer’s support wiki and customer centric forum have been shut down “for maintenance” since April 2012. With recent Mac operating system upgrades, the CRM is starting to fail. It sporadically forgets updates I’ve made to client contact information. Contacts wonder from category to category and eventually end up stopping outside of all categories. I can no longer export contacts to a mailing list, the ability to send perfectly formed e-mails from the CRM works only when the moon is full, or so it seems. My CRM is now what I consider dog-doo.

So, I’m in the market for a replacement. I’m sure there are a number of options and I’m going to test drive them until I find the one CRM that will make my life tracking clients and their information a breeze. I need it soon. By tomorrow. Well, maybe not that soon. But soon!

I’ve started a list of contenders for the one that will replace my CRM. It’s the beginning of organizing my quest for a new and better client herder. I’m a Mac guy so my choices seem to be significantly less than for PCs. Maybe PC folks need more organizing than Mac boys and girls? I digress. I’m bitter. I just want my CRM to work! I’ll let you know what I find. And if you’ve got a Mac CRM (or a better way to manage clients) you couldn’t possibly function without, tell me.

Stay tuned.

 

Other posts you might find interesting:

• VoiceWorld Toronto, It’s a Voice Conference
• JewelBeat: A New Royalty Free Music Source
• 10 Things to Keep in Mind when Building a Home Studio

VoiceWorld Toronto, It’s a Voice Conference

You may or may not be a professional voice person but you are somebody who enjoys learning about the biz, right? Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading a blog about voiceovers. Now that I have that out of the way, I would like to direct your attention the information below. You’ll find details about VoiceWorld Toronto Conference.

This will be a key opportunity for you to meet like minded people, hear from experts that have been doing the voiceover craft for decades and enjoy the beautiful city of Toronto.

VoiceWorld Toronto Conference

Date: Saturday May 4th, 2013
Time: 8:00 am – 5:30pm
Location: Toronto Hilton Hotel

Prepare to be educated, equipped and empowered

• Audition like a pro — understand the do’s and don’ts of auditioning in person and online.
• Learn the ins and outs of the voice acting business, and what it takes to be a successful voice-over talent.
• Get into business — explore ways to turn your voice acting talent into a business.

About VoiceWorld Toronto

VoiceWorld, the industry’s premier conference, being held in Toronto in 2013, is an immersive experience focused on engaging voice actors from across Canada and the United States. Connect with amazing, influential people who can change your life through courses in artistic development, business and technology preparing you for success in the exciting world of voice acting. A breath of fresh air, VoiceWorld sets out to invigorate and intensify your love for the art of voice acting as never before with an action plan for you to take your business to the next level.

VoiceWorld Toronto Speakers

• Pat Fraley – Man of Four Thousand Voices, CESD Talent Los Angeles
• Elley-Ray Hennessy – Award-winning actress, Director and Producer
• Deb Munro – International Voice-over Talent and Coach
• David Ciccarelli – Co-Founder and CEO of Voices.com
• David Goldberg – Owner of Edge Studio
• Dan Lenard – The Home Studio Master
• Sunday Muse – Voice-over Artist, Author and Coach
• Dave McRae – The Voice Mann
• Stephanie Ciccarelli – Author of Voice Acting for Dummies
• Wayne Young – Audio Producer and Mixing Engineer

10 Reasons To Attend VoiceWorld Toronto

Early Bird Special ends February 28^th!

*Tickets are limited. Purchase your full conference pass by visiting, http://voiceworldtoronto2013.eventbrite.com/

Voice World Toronto
Join us in Toronto for the voice acting conference of the year on Saturday May 4th, 2013.

Eight-Steps to Detoxify Rude Clients

You’ve completed a project that should satisfy your customer’s needs. You worked hard to keep all of their directions and desires in mind while creating their voice-over or other freelance deliverable. After you send it to him, Mr. Crankypants promptly responds either with a call or e-mail to unload his unhappiness about what he received, and he is not nice about it! What to do?

1.  Smile.

Stay focused. Read or listen for clues why they are unhappy and above all else, smile. Don’t let Crankypants bring you down to his or her level. Be determined to remain positive during your interaction. If replying in e-mail, keep the tone of your message positive. When talking with them on the phone, keep a warm, honest smile in your voice. And if you’re dealing with your client in person, keep the corners of your mouth up in a genuine smile. Difficult? Yes, but so important to do.

2.  Allow your client to do the talking and ask open ended questions to keep the conversation moving forward.

Everybody has an occasional bad day. Don’t stop Mr. Crankypants from opening up and expressing his feelings. It could be that he is unsure how to continue. Maybe a peer gave him super critical feedback and was strongly encouraged to unload on you. Maybe Mr. C. got a ticket on the way to work and your project was the first thing he saw when he sat down at his desk. When it’s your turn to speak, ask specifically what he doesn’t like. Collect as much information as possible.

3.  Apologize to the client and validate their feelings.

One of the quickest ways to defuse a perturbed client is to apologize for what they perceive as the thing making them angry. Validate their beliefs. You don’t have to agree about the complaint, but let Crankypants. know that you understand his feelings, you hear what he is saying.

4.  Continue to be neutral in tone.

Attempting to match Mr. Crankypants’ current, nasty disposition will not have a positive affect. Manage the situation so that emotions are filtered and information gathering continues. Using language that is positive or neutral rather than negative will a go a long way in getting to a resolution. Smile.

5.  Look or listen for the main issue.

While Crankypants may be venomous in general about something he believes is not right, pay attention for the one thing that has him in tantrumonious knots. When you let him talk or respond freely, he will get around to expressing the exact issue. Take notes while talking to Mr. Crankypants on the phone and take a moment to sift through his words in e-mail.

6.  Dial in your emotions.

When or if you find that dealing with Mr. Crankypants is becoming more than you can deal with, pause the interaction. Let Crankypants know that you’re looking into his issue and will need time to respond. This will likely give Crankypants time to chill and you time to gather your thoughts. Don’t become emotional because doing so will be the first step in loosing control of the situation. Remain emotionally intact.

7.  Neutralize the offensive behavior.

While Mr. C. is making you crazy with stinky behavior, don’t let your building negativity show. Regardless of what your third-grade math teacher told you, two negatives do not make a positive in this situation. Continue to let Crankypants know that you understand why he is displeased.

8.  Don’t take it personally.

As freelancers, we are very close to the work we create. We put a lot of time and creative effort into almost everything we deliver. When Mr. Crankypants is messing up your day with his indelicate attitude, try to remember it’s not about you but about the deliverable. That’s probably the hardest thing to accomplish out of this list of eight, but it’s important to compartmentalize your personality from your work. The attack is on your work, not you.

*Bonus Tip.

When you receive a scathing e-mail from a client who goes great lengths to define your skill or product as anything but valuable, the temptation may be to volley back a reply that is equally nasty. Go ahead and type out the response. That’s right. Create a new message and type away. Let that customer know you’re on to them. Make them feel diminished. Turn them to ashes with well placed inflammatory words and combustible phrases. Type until you can type no more. That’ll show ‘em! Now, the secret is that after you’re done typing, walk away and let the message simmer for ten-minutes or so.

When you come back to the message, find the key on your keyboard labeled Delete and press. The message goes to the trash along with your hurt, retaliatory feelings. You’ve gotten it off your chest and it’s time to take care of the customer with professionalism. Refer to the first step in this article and respond.

A Standard in Which to be Recognized

I take my car to a locally owned garage here in Coupeville. I get along well with the mechanics and I’ve always driven away feeling like my needs were met. When I first moved to the area, I considered a few auto repair shops. One of the things I took into account was whether a shop had Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certification. I understand what the certification stands for and know that it’s not easy to acquire. To be ASE Certified, mechanics take a number of exams, which typically only 66% pass on the first try. After passing, the mechanic provides proof of two years work experience and is then given certification. To maintain certification, the mechanic retests in five-years.

Can that model work for voice-over talent? There seems to be a divided certification camp.

On one side, the talent believes that being certified will provide them with peace of mind for having strived to meet the criteria for certification. Instead of listening to countless professionals with varying levels of experience and skill level for guidance as they grow their business, talents could refer to one organization whose goal is to improve the quality of voice-overs. I know that’s general in description but ultimately, that’s what certification is in any profession. Creating a standard by which to be measured. This helps talent seekers to weed out the crud and deal specifically with professionals who are qualified. No more wasted time with auditions that were recorded with a laptop microphone in the kitchen while dogs bark and kids scream in the background.

The argument against certification for voice-over talent is that it is simply not needed. There is nothing wrong with the state of the voice-over trade. People seeking artistic talent are not looking for anything other than somebody who can deliver the spoken word recording they need. Producers try out, through the audition process, any number of talent until they find the voice that fits their project. It’s not necessary to identify through certification that the talent can read as directed; has recording equipment and a decent, noise-free environment to record in. It will be obvious in the audition. It would not matter to voice-seekers that a talent’s web page or marketing includes a callout to their voice-over certification. It would not be clear what the certification represents or how it would benefit the results.

I’m aware of two players in the certification of voice-over talent. SaVoa.org is the first and is now going through somewhat of a reboot or reinvention of itself and appears to be close to taking applications again. The new kid in town is World-Voices.org, which has branded itself as “Voice Over’s new certifying Guild!” and is taking applications.

I’m an advocate for choice but I wonder if having two organizations that provide certification is worthwhile. Remember Blu-ray and HD or Betamax and VHF? While the competing standards had followers and each provided similar capabilities, there was only room for one ruler on each hill.

In my opinion, the best way for either to succeed is through aggressive marketing to voice-seekers paired with manageable ongoing educational guidance for certificate recipients. The first might make it apparent that considering a certified talent is more beneficial and cost-effective since the talent met an established standard. The second would encourage certified talents to continue building their skills with recognized educational paths. I’m sure there are others, but the certification should be couched as a “win/win” for seekers and talent.

I have mixed feelings about becoming certified and would like to hear your comments and opinions. What do you think? As a talent, what would be the advantage or disadvantage of being certified? As a talent seeker, could you be swayed to only work with certified talent?

To be, or not to be a CVT, that is the question.

Will Work for Clients

What is the number one best possible approach to getting new clients? Your answer will probably be different from everybody else who’s reading this, and it might be influenced by what point you are in your voice-over or freelance career.

I’ve talked with other professionals about attracting new clients and there are a handful of suggestions that are common. These five things, in no particular order, apply to voice-over professionals (and other freelancers) just starting out, to people who have been in their profession a number of years. Since everybody has a website these days, I’ve intentionally left out mentioning that you need one.

1. Show your work – What have you done (or can you do) that features your talents to the best of your abilities? For voice-over a well produced demo is what your prospective clients will want to hear. If you do a variety of voice-over types, produce a demo for each one. If you are an audiobook narrator, your commercial demo is not going to be enough. Make sure they are easy to find on your website.
2. Client Testimonials – After you’ve handed off the audio to your client, ask them to write a few positive words about their experience working with you. Do this sooner rather than later while they still have you fresh in their mind. Add the testimonials to your website and maybe even add one to your e-mail signature.
3. Social Media Interaction – It not enough to watch the social parade trek by. You need to be involved. Leave comments on posts other people have made. Retweet when you find something of interest Take the social plunge and initiate a post or a tweet of your own. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others are there for you to freely interact in. Make sure that whatever you write or comment on is positive. Keep in mind that your prospective client will have access to almost everything that is associated to your name on the web.
4. Plan of action – How do you want to start adding to your client list? Do you have a goal in mind? Are there a number of businesses or types of companies that you want to contact or be noticed by? What method will you use to get noticed? Write your marketing plan of how things will get done. This might even be a great time to write your business plan since generating customers is a huge part of it.
5. Cultivate Relationships – After you’ve introduced yourself and have the ear of a prospective client, don’t forget to reach out to them. You might not initially get work from them but over time, as they get to know you better and their needs change, they might just hand you your next big gig. You can keep in touch with them monthly in e-mail or follow them in any of the social avenues and comment when appropriate. You’ll get to know them better over time and they’ll be reminded about you. Please, no stalking!

What is the number one best way you’ve found for growing your client list? Freelance professionals want to know!

It’s All in the Script – 5 Tips for Better Reading

Have you ever read a book, magazine or newspaper and wondered why the type is so small? It’s because the publishers are trying to maximize space and cram as many words onto a page as they can. There are websites that do the same. The tiny text makes it difficult to read. Thankfully, most browsers have the capability to easily magnify the size of the text.

Scripts can have issues with type size as well, along with other unhelpful formatting, that make for difficult reading. You’ll want to encourage your client to provide you with their best script possible. When you receive a script that is formatted to be easily read, your client is doing you a huge favor and will make your session run more smoothly.

Here are 5 suggestions you can share with your client that will make their scrips more approachable.

1. Use a readable font. Every once in a while I’ll receive a script with an unusual font. Comic Sans comes to mind along with any font that emulates handwriting or calligraphy. Suggest a font that was meant to be printed, such as Garamond, Georgia, New York, Times and Times New Roman. The reason serif fonts are preferable is because people can differentiate each letter more clearly.

2. Increase the size. Typically when I’m reading a script, it’s on a copy stand or held a good distance up and away from my microphone. That’s why the point size should be between 14 and 16. You will find this easier to read than most text application’s default size of 12 point.

3. Double space text. When I get a script I’ll usually take a pencil and start marking it up for my benefit in the booth. To give me room for added notes and marks, double space lines are a necessity. Single spaced text is next to impossible to read after it’s been treated to markups.

4. Ask for phonetic helpers. You might not know how to say every word in the script you receive. Error on the side of caution and ask for phonetic (fəˈnetik or fe ne tick) guides for uncommon names of people, places and things. If you come across an acronym, ask whether it should be spelled or pronounced. Reading the script with your client over the phone is a great way to identify words that need a helper.

5. Confirm that you have an approved final script. Noting sets a session back quicker and can add additional costs than receiving a script that has not been approved. Take a moment to verify with all stakeholders that what you’re about to record is in final form. Sure, there’ll be occasions when a line needs to be changed but that can be handled easily with a pick-up of just that line.

6. *Bonus tip: Request that the script be formatted using Microsoft Word. Ask your client to provide Word formatted scripts. If you receive a script with none of the tips from above applied, at least you’ll receive a file format that can be easily manipulated if needed. PDF files are the least desirable because of their inability to be easily reformatted. Copy and past from a PDF can end in disastrous, sometimes unreadable results.

What makes a script more readable or less desirable for you? Feel free to share both the good and bad examples.

Are You Available?

I’m a repeat customer at my local haircut shop. I make the pilgrimage once a month to get what I believe to be the best cut in town. It’s a short six mile drive to where the shop is located.

This month’s cut was super important because my parents were coming for a visit. Mom appreciates a well groomed son, and I was aiming to please.

My folks were set to arrive in one day and so the need for a hair cut was immediate. I called the shop to make sure that Jean, the Master Stylist who always cuts my hair, was available and had time. I was happy to hear that she was, so I scheduled a morning appointment.

When I arrived at the shop and signed in, I was told that Jean had the day off and that I could reschedule for sometime later in the day or early evening with somebody else. I couldn’t believe it. Jean wasn’t even on the schedule to work that day. This was not the first time the schedulers had messed up my appointments.

I asked to talk with the Manager. She was professional, very apologetic. She told me that she was having problems with her staff, she fired stylists, two had walked out on their own and she was clearly understaffed. I explained that what happened was not a single instance and that I had scheduling problems twice before. Again, she was apologetic. This time she upped the customer service ante and offered a free hair cut and discounts on future cuts.

Nice gesture, but by now, I was totally out of the haircut mood in this particular shop.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I looked in the mirror and knew that I urgently needed a cut and couldn’t go home without one. It was time to try somebody new. On the other end of town, I stopped by another haircut shop. I walked in, the place was buzzing with a positive vibe. One of the stylists, Katt, had just finished up with a customer and was available.  I was taken to her station and she went to work. Katt was everything that Jean was and more.

I left the shop feeling like I’d had a great experience and the services provided were topnotch. I had found a new shop that would get my business from now on. Sorry Jean, you just weren’t available.

This story illustrates the point of being available for repeat clients, and being responsible about time management and scheduling. Because no matter how good I am, there will always be somebody better. 80-percent of my income comes from repeat business so I make it a point to be available when my clients need me. Minimizing the conflicts that allow clients to look elsewhere is part of building my business. I can’t afford to lose good clients. Can you?

Who Wants to Be a Voice Talent?

Recently, I’ve received e-mail from a number of folks who are checking out the prospect of becoming a voice-over talent. They ask me questions about how I got started; what I did to become successful; and what a typical day looks like for me. I openly let them know that it’s hard work and encourage them to give the idea some careful consideration before taking the plunge. My 1000-foot level response looks something like this:

Self Examination

There are a number of “things” to consider before diving into a voice-over business and it will be important for you to think about each one.

• Are you willing to make very little money the first two or three years in the business?
• Are you open to working a “day job” while you’re developing your ability and establishing your client list?
• Do you have the skills to set up and maintain accounting, taxes, insurance and marketing that a small business requires?
• Do you like your voice and all the uniqueness it possess?
• Can you read clearly and are you willing to take direction?
• Do you have a thick skin and can you keep from obsessing about every audition you send out?

What’s Next?

After doing some honest reflection and answering the above questions truthfully, you may still be interested in the business of voice-over. The next step it to get started with training from a reputable coach. A good coach will tell you during your first session whether you’ve got the chops for VO or not. Next they’ll help you identify your signature voice and find genres that fit your voice and delivery. When you’re ready, many will also direct and produce your demo.

Take some acting classes, improv is best. Practice cold reading anything you can get your hands on. While voice-over talent get to rely on scripts, you have to act the part. You need to deliver the lines in a convincing way so that they don’t sound read. You need to sound like you know what you’re talking about even when you don’t.

Get you demo(s) produced and website created to feature your abilities. Your first impression to talent seekers is super important. Take your time getting the training you need before your demo is produced. Hopefully you will have found a coach that isn’t part of a production mill and can truthfully tell you when you’re ready. Your website acts as your storefront with demos, details and contact information. Do not start to look for work without either of these.

Where will you record your broadcast quality audio? In your very own home studio of corse. You’ll need a quiet area to call your own, a mic, computer and software. Plus, the know-how to connect all these goodies and record your dulcet tones. Outside noises, distractions from family, pets and friends need to be removed.

You Gotta Work

Go out and look for work. Since you’ll be owning a business, it will be up to you to get clients on your own. Whether that means signing up with Voices.com or Voice123.com; leveraging your existing business contacts, family and friends or cold calling businesses…it’s up to you. You’ll find the most success in using a combination of the above.

Agents will not get you work. Agents will line up auditions for you. That’s it. If you book a gig from an agent arranged audition, you’ll pay her or him 10%. Yes, the agent will have access to the big money gigs but will only be interested in representing you once you’ve proven yourself independently. They’ll look at you and say, “What are you bringing to my talent stable?”

During an industry teleconference with the talented and respected voice actor Randye Kaye, she said that about 10% of full-time professional VO peeps are in the SAG or AFTRA unions. You’ll be more flexible to stay nonunion at the start. You’ll know when it’s time to join a union, a client will want to hire you and only works with union talent. That’s the day you’ll be signing up.

Plan Your Day

My schedule is much the same from day to day. It’s flexible enough for me to schedule sessions. When not “working” my time is spent auditioning and marketing.

• Check e-mail from overnight and respond
• Add appointments to my calendar
• Practice for 90 minutes reading copy, recording my takes and analyzing my delivery. We are, after all, our own worst critic.
• Audition 4 hours
• Lunch
• Marketing 3 hours
• Virtually socialize with my vo peeps (twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, blog, other…)

I wake at 6:00 a.m. Pacific time and leave my studio to have dinner with my family by 6:00 p.m. If necessary, I work weekends and get up early when the east coast is calling for me to complete an early morning gig.

So, there you go. A little sporadic but it covers a lot of ground. This is what comes to mind every time I answer the question. I’m sure you have your own 1000-foot-level of what it takes in this business. What would you add?

Simple Two Step Process for Losing Clients

• Is your customer list so huge that you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of contacts?
• Are repeat clients bothersome and too much of a maintenance nightmare for you to imagine?
• Do you enjoy the challenge of searching for new clients?

If you answered yes to any of these, the following two-step process will help you reduce the number of clients that you’re currently working with.

Step 1 – Don’t Say Thank You

You’ve delivered a great service to your client. What more do you need to do? Don’t waste your time being gracious with thanks. Saying thank you is very old fashioned, and a huge time hog. Imagine the money you’ll save by not sending that handwritten thank you note that includes a couple of your business cards. Referrals are so overrated and they make your client list bigger.

Step 2 – Don’t Check In or Follow Up

Go ahead and ignore your clients. Don’t reach out to them with a monthly reminder of your services or let them know that you have some open time in your schedule for their last minute projects. Don’t take the initiative to find out how your client’s project turned out because you’ve done your thing, got paid and now you’re on to your next client. Since you find maintaining client relationships such a burden, neglecting them in this fashion will free up time for you to look for squeaky new ones. Simple.

But Seriously 

By now I’m, sure you understand how effective this one-two punch can be. Clients like to feel important and worthy of your time. It takes just a few moments at the end of your day to write a quick thank you note to the clients you’ve worked with. If you have clients that you provide services to several times a month, write them one thank you at the end of the month.

My current doctor is one of the best I’ve had. She has my best interest in mind and cares about my health. After out of office procedures, she’ll follow up with me to find out how I’m doing. I love that! She cares and makes me feel important. Imagine how your clients will feel when you check in with them to find out how the project you were involved with turned out. What a great opportunity to talk about their next projects.

If it’s been awhile since you’ve heard from a particular client, send them an e-mail or give them a call. You remember the phone? Maybe you’ve added a new service that you’d like them to know about. This is the perfect time to tell them. You could ask for a testimonial of their experience with you. It will give them reason to recall and express how great it was to work with you.

I hope you found this helpful. And remember, if you don’t have time for all of your clients, send them my way. I’d be happy to give them some attention.