Are Your Customer Relationships Struggling?

I encourage you to analyze your current client relationships, specifically the most challenging ones that drain you. It is those relationships - the ones where connection is missing or showing signs of strain ― that you need to focus on repairing before you lose the client's confidence and ultimately their business.

How often have you asked yourself, often too late, 'why didn't they tell me they were unhappy' or 'if I only knew...' Well, here's your chance to know. Ask them.

Before you spend time trying to repair the relationship, which indeed you should, you need to give serious consideration to the following questions:

Why did you lose that connection? Until you fully understand the reasons why the relationship is struggling, any attempt to repair it may be futile or potentially more damaging.

Ask yourself, "What could I have done differently?" By humbling ourselves and understanding the active role we must play in each relationship, the better chance we have of not repeating our mistakes. Plus, this exercise also reminds us of the ageless concept about the customer always being right.

As you apply the above concepts to your struggling customer relationships, start thinking about ways to create connection, a genuine and humble connection. It's worth it. The challenge here is that in today's marketplace, yesterday's strategies no longer apply.