5 Ways to Build Positive Client Relationships While Working Remotely

By Kailynn Bowling, Co-Founder of ChicExecs PR & Retail Strategy Firm.

Customer relations are the daily bread of any B2B business. But in a world where your customers are an email away, it's becoming increasingly difficult to build relationships with customers in a remote environment.

While it's easy to warm up your relationships with your customers face-to-face, how do you manage those relationships remotely?

Consider this: 70% of consumer purchases are influenced by how appreciated customers feel. This means that investing in positive customer relationships can have a tangible impact on your customer retention and your revenue.

You want long-term success and you need your customers to follow you. But if you're managing all of your work remotely, you need to intentionally build positive relationships. If you're struggling to build positive relationships with your customers in the age of remote work, try these five tips.

1. Get to know your customers as people.

Sure, it's business, but that doesn't mean your interactions with customers should be purely work-related! Get to know your customers as people, by asking questions like:

• What country (or world) does he live in?

• What are their hobbies?

• Do they have children?

• Do they have pets?

• What did they do last weekend?

You don't have to interrogate them for half an hour each time you meet. A simple question before you get to work will do wonders for building client relationships.

Since asking questions can increase your likeability, it can deepen your relationships with customers while building your social capital. Translation: your customers will love you!

2. Agree on a shared technology stack.

Misunderstandings can lead to a lot of frustration and negativity in customer relationships. That's why it's a good idea to be on the same page with your customers, especially regarding how you'll communicate and work with each other.

Agree on a shared technology stack when working with a client. For example, if you normally do Zoom meetings but the client only does Google Meet, you'll need to adjust the way you do video calls. It might sound boring to add another platform to your tech stack, but you want to make it as easy as possible for the customer to contact you!

3. Take some time for the face.

If you're trying to build warm and positive relationships with your customers, be sure to show your face! Humans rely on facial expressions to socialize with each other (and science backs it up).

Make sure you have some time with your customers by:

• Turn on your camera during video chats

• Face-to-face meeting once a year, if possible

• Add an up-to-date photo to your email signature or Slack

• Save videos with Vidyard [[relationship?]] instead of sending long emails

4. Set clear and documented expectations.

Remember that misunderstandings and confusion can create...