Unexpected

20 Ways To Boost Your Client Connection

20 Ways To Boost Your Client Connection

Garth Beyer

Surf Bro

PR freelancing has its downfalls, but one particular positive piece about it I love is the chance to connect with a client (be it a person, a business, or perhaps an actual PR agency). Here are 20 ways you can honor, strengthen, and leverage that connection.

1) Do one unexpected thing a week for them.

2) Ask for promo gear. (shirts, mugs, pens, etc,.)

3) Work with, not for.

4) Have their birthdays written on your calendar.

5) Connect them with other like-minded people they have yet to meet.

6) Ask a lot of questions – business and personal.

7) Write blog posts for them without being requested to.

8) Post on review sites. (Must love & trust your client)

9) Share your weekend goodies with them Monday morning. (cookies, cakes, dip, etc,.)

10) Be forward and transparent about your experience working with them. (Keep a work journal they can view anytime)

11) Fire the clients consuming 80 percent or more of your time, energy, money, etc,. (Unless, of course, you only have one client…)

12) Meet up on their turf.

13) Meet up on your turf.

14) Meet up outside each others’ turfs.

15) Friend as many other employees or team members of theirs as possible.

16) Remind them each week of what you’re thankful for.

17) Be forward with what you see is working annnd what you see isn’t.

18) Challenge them.

19) Always have one piece of the puzzle you work on together.

20) Consider at the end of the day.

 

Stay Positive & Every Business Is In The Business Of Connecting

Photo credit

It’s The Unexpected That Matters

Garth Beyer

You could easily duplicate a comedian’s skit. Memorize all the jokes, mimic all the facial expressions. The thing is, you won’t know how to interact with an audience member who interrupts your skit. What will you say to the guy that hollers out when you only ask for the ladies to say “aww.”

Any act, any entertainment, any art is best showcased when the artist is faced with the unexpected. It can be someone in the audience or one’s own mistake.

The reason why it’s suggested you fail and fail often is how you handle disruption is what matters, what people love to see, what people are fascinated by. It’s easy to follow the expected, it’s much more difficult to follow the unexpected.

Great thing about failure is people will love when you fall and they’ll love when you surprisingly land on your feet.

 

Stay Positive & Put Yourself In The Underdog Position From Time To Time

Surprises

Garth Beyer

GROUCHO

It’s sort of tacky to start this way, but… everyone loves surprises.* Your friend, your customer, your girlfriend, your client, your dentist – they all love surprises. The reason being is that they know what they are getting from you and giving in return.

The relationship, a dentist, for example, is a simple transaction: give your dentist money, the dentist gives your teeth a cleaning and you some sound advice on how to take care of your teeth.

Then throw in a surprise and see how the relationship changes.

You give your dentist money, the dentist gives your teeth a cleaning, you some sound advice on how to take care of your teeth, and a $25 gift card to Red Mango. Not because you didn’t cry through the fluoride, but because your dentist simply can.

Guess who won’t be changing dentists anytime soon?

If you’ve been won over by a surprise, well, I don’t need to explain why they matter or the personal result of them. If you haven’t been won over by a surprise, go surprise someone and see how the relationship shifts.

Still not sold on surprises? Look at the following two examples.

1. Birthday

2. Birthday surprise

 

Stay Positive & It’s Not Rocket Science**

Garth E. Beyer

*If you’re shaking your head in disagreement, you’ve just had people who don’t really know you try to surprise you. Look at the meaning behind the attempt and not the actual surprise.

**I would argue rocket science is getting much easier to do. Alas, an argument for another day.

Playing The Game Differently

Garth Beyer
The Ball Changes When You Change Your Throw

Matball

Basically the same game as Kickball, only with huge mats as bases. It was in 8th grade that whichever team I was on became unbeatable. Not because I was a great kicker (I did happen to hit someone in the groin because they thought I was going to just tip the ball and run. I sure showed them!). The fact my team was undefeated was from my talent in getting the other players out. It seems logically fun that I would get them out by hitting them with the ball before they reached the base.

The trick to my success was that I did not throw the ball normally. Most people would aim, step and throw directly a the opponents chest. No, I couldn’t be normal, average or expected. Once a teammate would toss the ball into my hands I would step, spin to gain momentum and catapult the ball towards the direction I thought the opponent would be. The aiming was done at the last split second before release.

That reason the spin-and-throw move became my strategy was that the first time I did it, I was successful in getting the opponent out, which happened to be the last out we needed. I’ll admit, everyone did look at me weirdly after that, but they continued to cheer and thought “Hey, if it works.” Now it wasn’t necessarily talent that made me successful, or the fact I may have enjoyed hitting people with the ball more than I should have. No, really I was successful with it because I had support, approval and people cheering me on to use my signature move.

Let’s back step. I used to throw the ball normally but I would often miss, decreasing my confidence and my teammates expectations. Since my success rate was less than 90% it seemed right to switch it up. Adding my twist and launch, having been successful the first time, rebooted the confidence. I started at 100% again with the excitement of the other 15 teammates and the awe of the 16 opponents.

The purpose of this story: When success rates go below 90%, change something, do something differently, throw the ball uniquely, because when you do and it works the first time, you start at 100% again. From then on, the confidence and the assurance by all of your teammates that you will be successful gives you the talent you need to continue throwing the ball in a way that defies adversity.

Had I played long enough to experience my success rate drop below 90%, you would have seen another new enticing move that allowed me to strike the opponents out. Change, continuous change, that is key. Those who suggest that by doing the same thing you get the same results are either joking or don’t understand that by doing the same thing, the results weaken and expectations from your peers shorten. But when you switch it up, do something unexpected and do it successfully the first time, not only do you win, but your team does too.

It also distinguishes who your teammates are and who are your opponents.

Stay Positive & Change It Up

Garth E. Beyer