Why should clients be loyal to you? What is the value to them of their relationship with you?
If you struggle to easily answer these questions, perhaps it is worth spending some time to examine your approach to building client relationships. And perhaps your team should work to define in one brief sentence what your value proposition is to your clients. By doing so, you can clarify what your brand stands for and begin to communicate your value proposition every day.
It might be helpful to examine your relationships in other areas of your life when you need services. For example, there are many similarities in the auto service industry with veterinary medicine. Years ago, if you needed to get service for your car, you took it to a mechanic who could provide routine service. They also provided the ability to diagnose and fix almost anything on your car. They could apply new tires, align the front end, work on your brakes, fix most auto problems, and change the oil. This is analagous to the full service veterinary clinic. Full service veterinary clinics provide routine care, immunizations, sick care, diagnostics, surgery, and most other services for animals, in addition to selling products for animals.
However, if you look at the auto service industry, there are numerous specialty services provided by national brands. Jiffy Lube specializes in oil changes. Discount Tire applies new tires. Brakes Plus works on brakes. AAMCO specializes in transmissions. And many companies only sell auto parts.
In veterinary medicine, there are specialty services that provide only immunizations, others focus on spay and neuter, some focus on dentistry, and others primarily provide imaging and diagnostic services. In addition, there are numerous companies who only sell products for animals. The competitive environment in veterinary medicine will continue to change, so now, as always, it is very important to build value in your relationship with your customers.
Examine your business relationships, and identify what you value in the services you access in other aspects of your life. Is it important to you to have someone you trust for advice in specific areas? Perhaps it's the convenience of being able to get all of your products and services in one stop? Is time most important to you? Perhaps it's how you bond with specific people and the attention to detail they provide in serving your needs? Many customers prefer a trusted relationship to avoid surprises. Understanding your customers' desires and preferences is crucial. Ask them what they want and what they value, and build your service to deliver to those needs. If you build value in your relationship, your customers will be more loyal to you.
