Respond to clients same day
Better communication helps me sell more.
Last year (2023) I finished at $310,227 in revenue.
This year (2024) I'm finishing at $418,076 in revenue.
Did we get a lot more new clients?
Nope. I focused even more on communication and client experience, and current clients spent more with us.
Let me explain…
When I worked for a creative agency, I noticed one important thing: clients hated how slow the agency was at communicating.
Time and time again, clients complained about the slow response.
Not about deliverables. Not about creative.
It was the communication.
And I took that to heart.
Competitive Advantage: Do Better
When I left to start my own business, I couldn’t stop thinking about it…
My competitive advantage could be as simple as “do better at communicating” and I would win more clients over.
Really, that easy?
Ain’t no way.
But I didn’t get distracted. I let it be that simple.
I committed to responding to clients within the same day. I knew if I could commit to that, everything would be different for them.
And clients LOVED it.
Word Got Out
People started telling others. Referrals started trickling in. I became the guy people could rely on.
Why?
Because I answered.
I answered emails. I answered calls the first time. I even answered texts. And when a text was too long, I would call them back.
It was so unlike anything else they’d experienced with a creative agency or another freelancer. They could get ahold of a real person and that was comforting to them.
Remember, “it’s not what you do, it’s how you make people feel.”
Agencies and freelancers were making them feel annoyed.
I was making them feel heard, comfortable, and confident.
And when clients feel that, they will pay for it. They will pay for a better experience—an experience that leaves them feeling proud they chose you and happy you came through.
Clients Paid for a Better Experience
When I look back at 2020, selling $183,390 in video/photo work was proof that clients were hungry for a better experience.
Look, I’m not the most talented creative in the area. I’m pretty good with a camera but there are people who are more talented than me.
I just became better at making clients feel comfortable.
I proved I was reliable by telling clients what I was going to do and then showing up on time to do it
I proved I was worth paying because I never left a client in the dark
I proved I was a great choice because I cared enough to communicate, even when it wasn’t convenient for me.
How Can You Do the Same?
First, realize this isn’t some ground-breaking strategy. I just realized no one was communicating very well.
Second, this doesn’t take any additional money to do really well. It takes some time and intentionality.
Here’s how I’ve done it:
Answer client emails/comms first thing in the morning
If you don’t have a specific update, at least acknowledge them and tell them something is coming soon
Try not to let anyone go to voicemail (if you’re on a shoot, that’s different)
Get your clients to text if you don’t like email. Most of my clients love texting and that’s what we do.
Finish your work days by answering emails/comms. Leave people in the know.
Keeping clients in the know is all they want. They want to feel heard. They want to feel respected. They want to feel they’ve made the right choice.
Now go out there and make communication your competitive advantage as well. Steal it from me!
Cheers,
-Trent
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