Some years ago I booked a non-broadcast voice-over job with a big corporate client whose name you’ll recognize. I made a few hundred bucks from that first job but they liked my work and we continued to work together for almost 15 years. One day I got curious about how much business they had brought in over the years. I opened up my accounting software, checked the records and nearly fell off the chair.
That one client was worth over $1.1 million dollars!
In voice-over the really big money is made in repeat business. The moment you book your first job, you want to encourage that customer to come back again and again. (If they’re not, it could be a warning sign that something is wrong with your service delivery).
But what can you do to encourage customers to keep coming back for more?
Here are some tips.
- BECOME A TRUSTED SOURCE
My boyfriend has used the same travel agent for years. I asked him why he doesn’t just book his travel on line. His answer? “I trust my travel agent.” His travel agent has undoubtedly made lots of money in commissions because of this. Trust is essential if you want repeat business. Being a trusted source means being responsive to your client’s needs and consistently providing top notch service and great value. - STAY TOP OF MIND
As your business starts to grow and you get busy, it’s easy to lose touch with your customers. But if you don’t keep reminding them that you’re out there, they may wind up going elsewhere. Here are some of my favorite ways to stay in “gentle touch”: - Birthday cards and cards for other holidays like Independence Day or fun holidays like National Chocolate Cake Day. You can get fun holiday calendars on line.
- A print newsletter. I prefer sending a monthly newsletter by mail rather than email which is too easy to delete and can be perceived as annoying if their in box is already clogged.
- Regular keep in touch service calls. There’s nothing wrong with a friendly call to check in and see how things are going. You can make these calls on Sunday afternoon and leave a voice mail message since you probably won’t get your customer on the phone during the week, although it’s worth a try. Script your message and keep it short and sincere and don’t forget to leave your email address and phone number!
- Articles of special interest. You should keep notes on your customers hobbies and special interests and send them related articles with little note from you attached. I had one client who was a real horse enthusiast and she really appreciated when I sent her interesting articles about her hobby.
- GIFTS
We send a small gift every quarter to our best customers. These gifts are simple, useful and typically cost no more than $25 dollars. Examples include: movie or event tickets, mugs, baskets of chocolate covered fruit (a favorite), flashlights, calculators, journals.
With a little bit of care and attention, you can turn one job into many and before you know it, your voice over business will be thriving!
Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?
You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:
Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com
Copyright 2012, The Great Voice Company. All Rights Reserved. How to Keep Your Voice Over Clients Coming Back for More.
