Maintaining Client Relationships in 2020

by Jordan-Ann Powell | Sep 15, 2020

Our team is working from home through the end of the year. While the initial shift happened in March, this means we’re adapting how we run meetings, brainstorm, and stay connected – both with our internal team and our clients. 

We’ve always thrived on the ability to connect personally and meet in person as often as possible, so with the flexibility of working from anywhere, comes a new challenge to keep (and start!) relationships that can thrive digitally. 

Here are two main ways I’ve adapted to create and maintain client relationships:

1. Make it face-to-face. When possible, I use Zoom and ensure we have video chat ready. I admit that “Zoom fatigue” was a real threat in the beginning, but now that I’ve recalibrated my schedule, I find that there’s more benefit in making it a video meeting. Facial expressions speak as much as the words themselves, and this added sense empowers everyone to connect more effectively.

2. Take time to catch up on the personal stuff. The work will get spoken to and the work will get done. It’s worth it in the long run to check in with people, see how one another is doing, talk about families, new home office renos, crazy pets, etc. Some of my favorite conversations in the past few months have been with teammates and clients sharing personal wins, jokes, and silly TikTok videos. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know people more deeply – which in turn increases trust and confidence in all parties involved. 

I’ve found both of these things to really help strengthen relationships both internally and with clients while working from home. It’s been a weird year for all of us, but we’re in it together. Getting to know some of my clients and teammates more deeply this year has been a big bonus.

Want to chat more about the above (or even share some Zoom horror stories)? Connect with me on LinkedIn here.