With the current economic uncertainty and all of us still recovering from the stress and financial impacts of the global pandemic, now is a great time to concentrate on how you can impress your client expectation vs client budget to encourage them to purchase from you again and again.
One way to do this is via entertaining your clients every so often. You’ll want to maximize your budget in this area to get the best return on investment possible.
Client Expectation vs. Client Budget
Ensure you understand your clients well to get the best return on your investment. You can tailor entertainment to them when you know who they are, what they like and dislike, what will impress or disappoint or anger them, and their hobbies and interests.
By coming up with ideas that suit people on a personalized basis, you’ll be much more likely to give your customers a great time and have them feel more loyal to your company than ever. If you plan an outing based on what you think sounds fun for yourself, you may miss the target entirely and alienate rather than impress people.
Shop Around for Good Deals
Part of any comprehensive business spending management plan should be to get the best value for money on any firm purchases, including entertainment-based ones. As such, shop around for good deals on the restaurants or bars you want to host clients, sporting or other tickets, day tours, etc.
Suppose you feel that multiple customers would enjoy a particular type of activity. In that case, it’s worth contacting providers to see if you can get a better deal for multiple bookings over a period. Plus, sign up for the newsletters and social media pages of the vendors you’re interested in spending money with to see if you can learn about special offers and discounts, such as reduced costs or upgrades or more included extras. Booking early can also help you spend less money overall, as you can typically get the most favorable rates.
Focus on All the Small Yet Important Details
Next, focus on all the small yet important details that can turn a day or night out from blah to brilliant. For example, if you’re going to be doing an activity where your guests may need to wear or use certain items, be sure to bring these with you or provide your clients with an appropriate dress code when you invite them. Also, have a backup plan if things don’t go as expected, especially if you opt for outdoor activity.
Take the time to remind yourself of the names of the client’s family members or other significant others and details about them, where possible. If you can ask after a customer’s partner, children, pet, or the like, it will show that you listen to them and value them as a person. The same goes for inquiring after how their golf swing, book writing, dance classes, or other hobbies and interests are progressing or asking about how their business has been going in recent times, if relevant.
You might also try to have your client’s favorite alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages on hand when you entertain them and choose food items you know they like. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to ask if they have any food intolerances or allergies in advance or any strong food dislikes you need to know about. When you show this kind of care, your clients will feel that you take the same kind of care with the goods or services you produce, making them more likely to order from you again in the future.
Arrange for a Takeaway of Some Type for Clients to Remember the Event
Another top tip for maximizing your entertainment budget is arranging a takeaway for your client to leave with, perhaps something they can use on the day when you catch up with them. This tangible could be a branded gift, such as a water bottle they might use during a golf day with you or a signed basketball if you head to a game together.
Alternatively, you might arrange to give them a sample to test out of a brand-new product you’re about to release, or you might set up a meet-and-greet with a celebrity or someone else you know they’re a fan of and take some photos of the interaction that they can keep.
Other ways to get the most possible out of your budget for wowing clients are to hang onto all receipts so you can claim them on your firm’s tax return, avoid talking too much shop while entertaining customers, and follow up afterwards to let them know you appreciate their time.
Do all of these things, and you’re sure to cement your relationships with those who buy from you and enjoy boosted business results in turn.
Feature Image: Pixabay
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