Client appreciation events are a wonderful way to express gratitude, build engagement, and improve customer retention. They are also great for boosting your credibility and allowing your clients to see you in a more personable, relatable way!
Hosting a memorable client appreciation event can even help with getting more referrals and testimonials through building loyalty and stronger relationships with your existing clients.
In the spirit of International Client’s Day coming up on March 19th, let’s dive into some best practices in hosting an exciting and effective client appreciation event.
Get to Know Your Clients
Circling back to our January 19th blog, Actionable Methods for Knowing Your Customers, taking the time to get to know your clients’ interests will not only help you get to know them on a deeper level, but it will allow you to hone in on a targeted event tailored to their shared interests.
Review your client base and see if there are any patterns to their interests and structure you event around those. Do you see that most like a particular sport like golf or pickleball? Or are foodies or enjoy music? You can even think about selecting a targeted group from your client list you are looking to build a deeper relationship with (affluents, women investors, next generation of current clients, etc.)
Pick a Fun Event
You want this to be a memorable event. Think outside the box with fun ideas like: wine/beer tastings, cooking classes, sip and paints, DIY arts & crafts workshops, ax throwing, holiday theme events, bowling night or a murder mystery dinner.
Think about targeting the next generation too with events that are perfect for families like: strawberry picking, ice cream socials (perfect for the summer), night at the ballpark/sporting events, pumpkin patch, client anniversary or birthday breakfasts where they can bring family.
You can even host valuable informational and/or wellness events in which your clients can personally benefit from. By doing so, you can provide your clients with the opportunity to learn a new skill, better their health, build upon their personal growth or help them improve their business. Event theme ideas include: cyber security, business innovation, technology trends, yoga classes, health screening fair, etc.
The More the Merrier
Allowing your clients to bring friends and family serves many benefits. Not only does it make them feel more comfortable, but allows you to maximize your chances of getting referrals and reaching the next generation of existing clients in an effort to want them to do business with you too!
Be Prepared
Although the goal of a client appreciation event is to make your clients feel comfortable, valued and appreciated, there is always the chance that someone could approach you with a business-related question or opportunity. So it’s best to err on the side of caution and have a handful of business cards on hand in the event you are asked for your information from possible prospects.
Think about revamping your card to include QR codes, one of which can be for a vCard (where the recipient can automatically save your info in their phone) or your website, social media pages or scheduling tool. This will be especially beneficial when trying to reach the next generation. Want to go green? Simply change your lock screen on your phone to your vCard QR code for easy scanning.
Start Planning Today!
To get started on planning your next client appreciation event, please contact your dedicated Marketing Account Manager for assistance! Let us help you with designing your invites, brainstorming on out-of-the-box ideas, discussing best practices for compliance, and more! Don’t know who your dedicated Marketing Account Manager is? No worries! Contact us at marketing@lplatfrg.com and we will get you connected!
