6 Ways to Strengthen Client Relationships with Video Appointments
Video meetings became much more common during the pandemic and are likely to continue to be a fixture in the future.
It’s possible to have strong bonds with your clients even without meeting them in person. Here’s how.
The pandemic forced many industries online faster than they might have liked. Many people would never have considered having healthcare appointments online, for example, so the telehealth industry had a huge challenge to help people feel comfortable. It seems to have worked, though, as telehealth usage has increased by an astonishing 3800% according to McKinsey.
There was a bruising adjustment period, but many of the ways we do business today are likely to stay with us even after the Covid threat is history. Many customers and service providers alike have realized that they prefer video appointments to in-person ones.
It’s more convenient and fits into people’s schedules more smoothly. For vendors, being exempt from physical proximity means that you can now offer your services to anyone in the world, effectively expanding your addressable market exponentially.
Yet in-person meetings do allow the participants to see more of other people’s body language, which can help foster closer relationships through better communication. It takes some forward thinking to achieve this same trust online so your relationships are just as strong. With the right approach, and the right mix of video calling use cases, you can use Zoom, or whatever service you prefer, to fortify your business.
Here are six ways to strengthen relationships with clients and potential clients through video appointments.
1. Offer Free First-Time Consultations
Everyone loves getting something for free, so if you normally offer only paid calls, it is worth making at least the first one available without a fee. This helps people to overcome their inertia in talking to someone new and using a format they might not be familiar with.
Some people may question the value of a video appointment and be put off making a purchase but will be willing to try it out if they don’t need to pay. Once you have them on the call, you can get to know them and see if they are the right fit for your product or service. You can offer value straight away to help them understand that the calls are worth paying for in the future.
This is much more direct than exchanging emails. What’s more, potential clients are testing the real thing rather than reading your description of what you do. Video creates more trust between strangers, too, with 82% of the respondents to a recent Zoom survey indicating as such.
2. Share your Screen
People can often feel apprehensive about sharing their screen. They are worried they will accidentally show something they shouldn’t have, whether it’s personal information or business-sensitive data.
If you can share your screen with your client, it gives them a sneak peek into your world and your work. Clearly, you shouldn’t have programs that are considered distractions open, but if it is your normal working desktop, they’ll be able to see the tools you use and your organization.
This can help your clients to feel reassured. Someone who shares their screen feels like someone who doesn’t have anything to hide.
3. Include Calls in your Packages
In business, it’s often smart to make use of bundles, as you can make your cash flow more predictable compared with selling smaller items individually. In the online space, it’s become extremely common for people to sell higher ticket bundles that are more likely to make an impact on a customer’s life.
If you already offer bundles, you can add the cherry on top by including one-to-one calls. It gives the client personal attention from you which they will appreciate and also allows you to check on their progress.
By including these in the middle of the package, you can understand how satisfied the client is with what you are selling. If it appears they are struggling then you can give them more support to ensure you deliver on the bundle’s promises. This leads to happy customers who can give stronger recommendations to people in their network.
It might sound complex to manage, but you can handle it all through vcita. This platform provides an interface for customers to pay securely, and then allows them to book slots individually.
Clients can pick from slots automatically updated with your availability from your calendar. It’s integrated into a CRM, too, which makes the tracking much easier for both you and your client. There are no awkward moments where there could be a discrepancy in how many sessions are left.
4. Host Group Calls
If you are a coach or an educator, your clients could benefit from getting to know each other. This community aspect could help provide support to help people achieve their goals and for you to deliver on your promises.
You can host them in one room, too, which makes greater use of your time. Rather than having ten one-on-one calls which take ten hours, you can save nine by putting them all in one place. You might find that participants have great ideas which can help each other.
This format also serves as social proof, as you show off all the other people who trust you. It can help anyone who is doubting whether they made the right choice to buy feel more relaxed.
This kind of call is common for cohort-based courses such as SmartPassiveIncome. Pat Flynn, the founder, switched to offering a premium “private community,” because he found that the accountability factor keeps everyone’s motivation levels much higher.
5. Make it Fun
Zoom fatigue is scientifically proven as a real problem. Stanford even carried out research into it to discover the key underlying causes.
Video calls can help create a stronger bond than mere audio, but how do you realize the benefits without risking burnout? You can use a tool like Loomie to keep things light. It creates an avatar for you then uses your webcam and AI to mimic your movements. The effect is a cartoonish version of you that reacts exactly the same way you do.
The best part about this is the eye movement autocorrect feature. It makes your eyes look like you are staring into the camera even when you aren’t. This reduces the pressure to always be present even when you need to rest your eyes or look away from the screen momentarily.
6. Read Between the Lines
Another benefit of using video calls is the ability to record the conversation and analyze it after the event. This can be useful when you miss cues in real-time and want to understand how people reacted to different points of the conversation.
Let’s say you pitched a new service at a higher price than you’re used to. You can go back and watch to see your clients’ expressions and whether it shocked them. If you see that they took it in their stride, knowing this can give you the confidence to push the sales pitch harder next time. On the other hand, if they seemed disappointed, you know you might need to lower the price.
You can even use AI tools to analyze their reactions further. Using Truthlab, for example, you can automatically create highlight reels from your calls, complete with sentiment analysis. Video calls give you data that can help you to support your client in a more effective way.
Final Thoughts
It seems video appointments are here to stay, with many people’s eyes being opened to the convenience of doing it from the comfort of their home. If you’re used to in-person appointments, it may initially feel intimidating to try to build the same depth of relationships, but it is possible.
The tips covered in this article can help you to create a strong rapport with your clients and inspire loyalty in them, which is crucial to the long-term success of your venture.