For small businesses and freelancers alike, it’s important to recognize that your business is as strong as the relationships you build with your customers.

We can learn a lot about creating those relationships from the customer experience industry. In particular, we can learn how to create customer-centric messages and how to weave the customer relationship into marketing strategies and plans. This starts with something as simple as reaching out directly to customers with a personal note.

As you grow, you may implement more complex systems to reach out to customers with consistent, branded messages. Make sure that, no matter what technologies you use, the goal remains the same. To create lasting, personal connection with customers and clients.

Shorten the distance between you and your customer

The shorter the distance (or perceived distance) between you and your customer, the stronger the relationship. Freelancers and small business owners can learn from the CEO of men’s apparel brand Masorini and how he uses email to connect with customers in a crowded market.

After every purchase, Masorini sends a personal thank you note from the CEO directly to the customer. This small online store is demonstrating that they recognize the value of every customer and every customer’s experience.

Make a personal commitment

By doing this, the CEO shows his personal commitment to his customers. He inserts himself into the customer journey in a unique and powerful way.

This mindset applies in the freelancer-client relationship, too. Consider these questions:

• Are you reaching out to your clients with clear messages?
• Are you taking a moment to say thank you, or to connect in a person-to-person way, beyond outlining deliverables?

Express gratitude

With the thank you note, the Masorini CEO accomplishes three goals: create a relationship, build loyalty, and increase sales. All of this applies to the freelancer-client relationship.

As part of expressing gratitude for your client and the work you are creating, you also want to connect with and listen to the client so that you can better structure your workflow and manage your relationship in a way that benefits both you and the client.

Personalizing your outreach helps to accomplish those goals in a positive context that builds, rather than challenges the relationship.

Acknowledge challenges and limitations

When you acknowledge challenges and limitations on the client’s side and your own, you reinforce trust and loyalty. Both trust and loyalty are key to creating a better experience for your client and a strong relationship that is profitable for you.

Here we learn another lesson from the small business, boutique retail space. Online retailer Hello Spud did something truly impressive by using email and handwritten correspondence. They made me a loyal customer by making me wait!

Apply lessons and customize to your needs

In many ways, the retail space can be a much easier space in which to create loyalty and customer retention. Of course, there are many situations that are specific to freelance projects. And there is no one size fits all solution.

However, the best practices we see in place as customers are a great place to start. Create experiences for your clients and build relationships that make your clients excited to work with you and eager to spread the word about the unique value that you provide.