A client who feels remembered will pay a bit more and stay a lot longer than one who gets a better price from a stranger. Client relationship management is mostly the unglamorous work of remembering. Software helps, but a diary and two or three rules do most of it.
What makes clients trust you?
Doing what you said by the day you said it. That’s most of it. A designer who promises Thursday and sends the draft Wednesday at 4pm builds more trust than one who sends something dazzling on Friday. Reliability is cheaper than brilliance, and clients notice it sooner. Elsewhere, Manchester Chronicle is there to read.
Say a plumber fixed a client’s leak in March. A text in September (“Heating season soon, want a quick check?”) takes 20 seconds and lands when the boiler is due. Contact with a reason beats contact for its own sake. You can also try Glasgow Bulletin.
How often should you get in touch?
It depends on what clients spend, not on how friendly you feel. Put your time where revenue and repeat potential sit. A rough rhythm is below. For other business topics, see Liverpool Tribune.
| Client group | Rhythm | What to send |
| Top 10 by revenue | Monthly | A call or a note tied to their work |
| Regular mid-size | Every 6 to 8 weeks | A useful update or reminder |
| One-off buyers | At 30 days and 6 months | A check-in with one clear offer |
Reply to a complaint within one working day, even if all you can say is “got it, you’ll hear from me Thursday.” Silence reads as indifference. A date reads as control. Sheffield Voice has further titles.
Where repeat business comes from
Say you have 80 clients worth £600 a year each. Keeping 5 more through better follow-up is £3,000 (example numbers). Winning 5 new ones usually costs more in time and advertising, though you should check your own acquisition cost. Another site to browse is Nottingham Times.
Keep one note per client: last contact, next promised action, and one personal detail such as a daughter’s exam week. A shared sheet will do. Mention the detail casually and don’t overdo it. Hull Report is listed for more reading.
Ask the clients who left, once, in two sentences. A reply you get in 30 seconds beats a 12-question survey nobody finishes. Related coverage is at Coventry Insight.
Related reading
- Local PR Services
- Newcastle Brief
- Bradford Daily
- Derby Digest
- Leicester Echo
- Belfast Record
- Birmingham Focus
- Leeds Angle
- Edinburgh Scope
- London Signals
- Bristol Outlook
- Trade Mirror
- Capital Outlook
- News Notes
- Local News Point
- Press Hubs
- Weekly Journal
- Trends Archive
- PR Directory
FAQs
Do I need a CRM system?
Not under about 50 active clients; a sheet does the job. Past that, reminders matter more than features. Read more at Plymouth Wire.
What should I send besides invoices?
Something they can use, like a deadline change that affects them or a quick tip tied to their work. Skip newsletters with nothing in them. Southampton Ledger is another place to look.
How do I chase a late payer without souring things?
Send a polite reminder on day 1 past due and a phone call by day 7. Keep the tone factual.
Mark your top ten tonight
Open your client list and mark the ten who bring the most revenue. Write the next contact date beside each one. Brighton Update has more reading if you want it. Make the first call before the end of the week.