Have you ever asked the question, “What would it take for Client ABC to be fired from my company?” Guess what? You may not have the answer to that question, but if you set up an evaluation process for your client base, the answer may become crystal clear. Evaluating or grading your clients is a very challenging, and sometimes difficult conversation amongst your peers. But I’m telling you, if you develop a client evaluation tool to assess your existing client base and do it annually, the process becomes easier and less of an argument every year.
A client evaluation tool can help you to:
- Establish what makes a client a good fit for your company
- Gain new perspective about ALL your clients
- Learn where potential for cross-selling exists
- Identify your top 20% of revenue-generating relationships
- Know where to invest your best resources
- Improve your bottom line
Definition of a Top 20% Client
Determine what characteristics determine a top-level client for your company. This could be different based on industry segment or niche area within your company; however, many characteristics will overlap. Clarifying the objective and selective criteria could include:
Objective – THE FACTS
- Does the client pay us over $10,000 annually?
- Does the client provide high quality referrals?
- Does the client accept our fee structure or complain?
- Is the client stable and exemplify future needs / success?
- Does the client pay on time?
- Does the client treat our employees well?
Subjective – THE TOUCHY-FEELY
- Does the client accept your advice or shrug it off?
- Does the client call us for insight before seeking others?
- Is the client’s reputation strong?
- Is the client ethical?
- Is there projected longevity / loyalty to you?
- Is the client organized, not in crisis mode?
These questions can help you start determining which clients fall into good / not so good client segmentation. Once you have established the criteria, it’s time for the next step: Segmenting Current Clients to Identify Opportunities.
Are you thinking this task may be too time consuming for you? If so, schedule a 1:1 consultation and we can walk you through the process.
