If you're involved in a service-based business, you know how important it is to keep your clients happy. If you weren't aware, the Harvard Business Review provides some pretty eye-opening numbers. Their study found that when clients are at the midpoint between being dissatisfied and highly satisfied, only 20% stay with their service providers. That means clients who are simply "satisfied" with your services may leave you for someone else who will leave them "highly satisfied."

If you're new to your industry or you've recently made the transition to self-employment, you may not really know how to make clients happy. Those who are employed full-time often only see a very small piece of the picture when clients are involved and don't get to develop client relationship management skills. Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to exceeding client expectations and boosting your client retention numbers.

Use Proper Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation in Written Materials

In our tech-happy world, we sometimes forget that spelling and grammar count when it comes to being professional. How would you feel if you were working with a professional who wrote you an e-mail that said, "C U at the meeting 2morrow"? You'd probably be appalled that s/he couldn't be bothered to write out one simple sentence. If you're not a writer, it's not a big deal. You can use a dictionary, thesaurus, or style book to help you get it right. If you miss one comma, it's not the end of the world, but put all of your effort into coming across as a professional and you'll get better business results.

Send Frequent Updates

Have you ever hired someone to work for you, paid a deposit to start the project, and then not heard from them for weeks? How did it make you feel? If you're like most people, you may have been worried that the service provider ran off with your money or wasn't really working on your project. You don't have to fill your client's inbox with updates, but make it a point to send something out every couple of days letting them know if you need clarification, have questions, or have updates to share. This will help your clients feel more at ease and will increase the chances of them hiring you again in the future.

Add Value to the Relationship

Sure, you can do exactly what's in your agreement, but that's not going to make you stand out from the crowd. Always strive to add value to your relationship with a client. If you find a link that your client would be interested in, e-mail it with a nice note. If you find a magazine article that might give your client some useful information, copy it and mail it with a note attached. If you can do your assigned work and provide additional information or resources of value, you can turn yourself into a trusted resource that gets each client's repeat business.

Use Handwritten Notes

The value of handwritten notes in the business world is underestimated these days. Many people use e-mail exclusively and have never sent a client something by mail. Try it and your clients will remember you as someone who took the time to send a personalized greeting. You can send a handwritten note for almost any occasion, including thanking a client for their business, congratulating a client on the launch of a new product, offering your assistance on another project, updating a client on a current project, or anything business-related.

With a little imagination and a good attitude, you can come up with dozens of your own ideas for differentiating yourself from your competitors and improve your client relationships in the process.