Business | 14 Aug 2014 | By Sun International
Business Tips: Taking Care of Out-of-Town Clients
Taking care of your out-of-town clients when they visit is not only vitally important for building and maintaining your business relationship; it's also an opportunity to present your company in the best possible light. If you can set a professional tone to the visit, and include some leisure time and entertainment, your clients will feel rewarded by the experience. They'll also return home from their corporate travels with only good things to say about your business.
Take care of your out-of-town clients with these 6 simple guidelines:
1. First impressions count
Organise good transport and arrange excellent accommodation. Ensure that an appropriate vehicle collects your clients from the airport - and that it is there on time. Nothing is more frustrating than having travelled for hours only to be left waiting at an airport for transport. The Maslow, Sandton's ultimate business hotel, will arrange chauffeured transfer services on your behalf.
Situated in the heart of fiscal Sandton, The Maslow is conveniently positioned within easy access to top investment banks, financial institutions, the Gautrain station and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Let your clients know how much you value their business by booking them into this luxurious business hotel. They'll be impressed by the convenient corporate travel facilities available, from lightning-quick connectivity speeds to the comfortable in-room workstations. And packaged in an elegant style, including plush furnishings and deluxe details (like plasma screen TVs and espresso machines in the luxury queen rooms), The Maslow will leave your clients feeling welcomed, comfortable, and above all: valued.
2. Take care of the details
Ask your clients beforehand if they have specific preferences or requirements regarding their corporate travel. Perhaps there's a tourist attraction or activity they hope to experience while visiting your corner of the world. If they haven't considered these options, take the initiative and offer a few suggestions.
Furthermore, your clients may have dietary or health restrictions that need to be taken into account. The Maslow hotel boasts an intimate chef's table at the Lacuna Private Dining Room, where you can create a bespoke menu from the show kitchen that caters to their tastes.
Perhaps they are light sleepers who cannot bear traffic noise (The Maslow has soundproofed rooms), or early risers who get their best work done in the morning. This information, when received upfront, will enable you to plan accordingly, ensuring your clients thoroughly enjoy their business trip.
3. Brief the key players
If your clients will be visiting your company premises, make sure that all staff involved have been briefed accordingly, and have filtered this information to their relevant departments. Your brief should cover the pending visitors and the dates they're expected; with guidelines towards appropriate office attire and behaviour to best represent your business ethos.
When the entire company is attuned towards professional friendliness, your clients will feel respected and valued.
4. Compile a welcome package
Make your visiting clients feel special by arranging a welcome package for their arrival. Include an outline of their schedule (with clear indications of when they will have free time), company swag, edibles, and local tourist pamphlets. Also include some information on where they're staying - The Maslow is situated in close proximity to some popular tourist attractions and entertainment options, like the Nelson Mandela Square.
A welcome package could also serve as a reference guide for your clients regarding the business purposes of their trip. Include any relevant or important information for their perusal.
5. Plan some entertainment options
Depending on their preferences, your clients might enjoy sporting events, theatre productions, live music shows, casinos, or shopping options. View entertainment websites and publications for upcoming entertainment happenings.
It's also important to take their culture and beliefs into account, so that you don't suggest activities that may offend them. However, offering tasteful recreational options will go a long way to show your clients you've spent time considering enriching experiences for their visit.
6. Find a comfortable balance between micro-management versus neglect
Don't make your clients feel like you're babysitting them. However, don't allow them to feel as though they're being neglected, either. Assume the organised and relaxed demeanour of an old-fashioned hostess. Be welcoming, friendly, prepared and at ease. If your clients feel confident that you've made the necessary provisions and preparations for their visit, they will in turn relax.
Try to make sure their schedules aren't so rushed that there's no time available for personal interactions with them. Take your cue from your clients as to whether they want to engage more, or less with you on this level. Don't take offense if they decline your entertainment invitations, for example.
When hosting out-of-town business clients, you want the visit to enhance the business relationship in every possible way. From your side, make an effort to get to know them, and be the best version of yourself. At the end of the day, if the relationship is intact, the business will be too.