Maintaining trust and building relationships with your clients is incredibly important in the energy broker field. There are so many options for energy within the deregulated market, and you could quickly find yourself out of a lucrative client if they decide to switch brokers or go it alone. The last thing you want to do is get your client a good price on their energy, only to see them fail to renew their contract with you because of a poor relationship. Finding new clients costs a great deal more than retaining a current customer and nurturing your relationship with them.
Be Active
You have to actively work at maintaining and growing your relationship with your customer. Building a relationship, whether it’s personal or business, doesn’t just happen by chance. You have to seek out and plan for opportunities to engage your customer, whether it’s face-to-face meetings, phone calls, or emails.
Make Them A Priority
An easy way to do this is by giving them first access or knowledge about any new products or services you might be offering. Even if it’s just news about the industry, let them know as soon as you do. This creates a stronger sense of loyalty, and it’s also a great way to add revenue through any new services they decide to go with.
You should also keep a document or list of everything you know about each customer. Having this information at hand will help you tailor your approach and give your communications a more personal tone. You’d be surprised at what remembering a small detail about your client can do for your relationship.
Feedback
Asking for feedback is one of the best ways to improve your business and your products or services. When you ask for feedback, you’re telling your customers that you want their input and that it truly matters to you. Give them a simple and specific way to communicate their feedback to you—whether it’s through your website, an email survey, or social media.
Don’t Disengage
Like we said before, one of the biggest mistakes you can make as an energy broker is making a sale and then forgetting about your customer as soon as you move to the next potential client. Retaining those customers and developing a good relationship with them will get you more referrals and more business than you’ll find if you’re constantly signing contracts and moving on.
We want to see your energy broker business succeed, and we know that part of that success comes from nurturing your relationships with your customers. We also know that another big part of your success is going to come from how quickly and efficiently you can take care of the time-consuming details, giving you more time to focus on your customers. At BOX, our Energy Engine platform provides you with the tools you need to streamline your business, take back your time, and develop better relationships with your customers.
Contact us today if you’d like to learn more about how Broker Online Exchange helps energy brokers take their business to the next level.
