5 types of calls for building trust with your clients
If you want your clients to think of you as a trusted adviser, a partner, a member of their team (instead of just another independent contractor they’ll never talk to again) you need to invest in building trust with your clients.
That one time I failed a VIP client
I recently started a client call by saying, “I am so sorry, my home internet is down, so I can’t walk you through your website the way we had planned to. And I am late because I had to download Zoom onto my phone.”
As you can imagine, I felt terrible for letting her down, for possibly delaying her website project. And I was just embarrassed because I felt like I hadn’t lived up to my own standards. Because I only work with clients who are kind human beings, I knew she would be okay with it. But I was still surprised when she said, “That’s okay, these things happen. Besides the tech trouble, are YOU okay?”
In that moment, I felt a profound sense of relief. It gave me the space I needed to just relax my shoulders and take a breath. We rescheduled the call and she even stayed on for another five minutes to make sure that I was okay.
She is clearly a wonderful person who cares about the well being of the people around her. And at the same time, I know that we were able to work things out so quickly, because we had both invested in building this trusting relationship in the weeks leading up to this point.
One of the ways that I build this kind of trust with my clients is through well thought out video calls. Here are the five calls that I include in every single one of my client projects:
Sales call
Kickoff call
Check-in call
Presentation call
Launch call
As I dive into more detail about each of these calls, I would love for you to consider how you might include these in your existing process.
1. Sales call
This is usually the first call that you would have with a potential client about working together on a website project.
The purpose is for you to see if you’re a good fit, and if you are a good fit, for you to agree on working together on this project.
This builds trust by you showing that you care about their success, and that you will take their money only if you can help them achieve their business goals.
2. Kickoff call
The second call is the kickoff call. It happens after the project is confirmed and before you start any design work.
The purpose here is to mark the start of the project, to kick it off, and also to make sure that you and the client agree on the project plan.
It builds trust by showing the client that you have a well thought out plan, and that you care about making sure that your expectations are aligned.
3. Check-in call
The third call is the check-in call. This happens in the middle of the project while you’re still working on the website.
The purpose is to let the client know that everything is going according to plan, and also to ask for any additional information that you might have realized that you need while you’re working.
This builds trust by showing the client that you have everything under control, and also that you care about making sure that every detail is right. It also shows that you’re available to answer any questions or address any concerns that might be coming up for the client as you make progress through the project.
4. Presentation call
The fourth call is the presentation call. This is the call where you walk your client through their new website for the first time. I also like calling it the “wow call” because it’s all about wowing your client.
The purpose is really to impress them, and also to teach them to give you helpful and constructive feedback so that you can make revisions.
This builds trust by showing the client that first, you are really good at what you do, and also that you care about making sure that they are 100% happy with their new website.
5. Launch call
The fifth call is the launch call. This is the final call and I recommend having this after the client has completed all of their payments.
The purpose is to publish the website together, make sure that the client is happy, and train them to make updates to their new website. And if you want, this is the time to make the offer to continue working together.
This continues to build trust by showing the client that you really care about making sure that they are all set with their new website, and also that you’re not just leaving them on their own. If they still need your support, you are there to help them.
Get the Trust Building Client Calls Workbook
If you need a little help figuring out what to include and what to leave out of each of these calls, I have a workbook with checklists and prompts to help you.
It’s call the Trust Building Client Calls Workbook.
Let me know in the YouTube comments right here:
Which of these calls do you already have in your process, and which ones are you thinking about adding?
