Here in King of Prussia, we’re anxiously awaiting Pope Francis’s arrival in Philadelphia. All of the media coverage has got us hyped and as a result, we’ve been thinking about a few commandments of our own.

So, in honor of Pope Francis’s visit to America, we’d like to share our list of relationship marketing commandments.

Ⅰ. Thou Shalt Not Neglect Clients

Your clients will quickly forget you if you lose touch. That’s why relationship marketers need to be proactive. Plan regular contact with your clients and sphere of influence. And vary the types of contact to keep people engaged.

For instance, you could send a copy of your very own personally branded magazine, follow it up with a phone call a few days later, share something on social media the next week, and send an email or text a few weeks after that.

Ⅱ. Thou Shalt Not Take Clients for Granted

Clients can choose to spend their money anywhere they want. And if they don’t feel appreciated, they’ll surely take theirs somewhere else. In fact, according to a study by the Rockefeller Corporation, 68% of customers leave you because they think you don’t care about them.

Don’t let this happen to you. Show your clients that you appreciate their business through both your words and your actions. Send thank you notes when they provide referrals. Remember their birthdays. Even sharing information they may find interesting will help your clients feel appreciated.

Ⅲ. Thou Shall Provide Value Beyond the Transaction

It’s easy to engage with your clients when you’re working towards a transaction. But what you do afterwards has more of an impact on whether those clients will use you again or refer others.

To keep yourself in the presence of opportunity, find ways to continually demonstrate the value of your relationship, even if they’re not directly related to your business. In fact, by demonstrating the value your relationships represent can be even more powerful thanks to the rule of reciprocity.

Ⅳ. Thou Shall Ask for Referrals

The best leads are those that come from referrals. Yet few salespeople consistently ask for them. That leaves a lot of sales on the table. Perhaps they are worried that they will appear too pushy or salesy. But you don’t have to, as long as you know how to ask the right way.

Ⅴ. Thou Shall Get to Know Your Clients

Relationship marketing is about people, not products and services. The goal is to build relationships so these people know you, like you, and trust you enough to give you business when the time comes. To do that, you need to know your clients.

Figure out their interests and hobbies. Make note of their likes and dislikes. Learn the names of their children, extended family, and pets. Remember what they tell you in previous conversations. All of these things will help you build rapport and initiate conversations.

Ⅵ. Thou Shall Keep Your Client Database Up to Date

Hopefully you’re adding new clients. Your existing clients also make life changes. All of this should be reflected in your database. It’s also a good idea to keep notes that allow you to remember details about your clients and conversations you’ve had.

Ⅶ. Thou Shall Listen As Much As, or More Than, You Speak

There’s a good reason you have two ears and only one mouth. Listening shows that you care about what your clients have to say. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to learn things you can use to strengthen the relationship.

For instance, if your client mentions an upcoming fishing trip, you should follow up to ask how it went. And you know that you can talk about fishing in the future to establish common ground. You can even share tips on fishing spots, bait, or other related topics to provide added value.

Ⅷ. Thou Shall Stand Out

According to Brandwatch, people who use Facebook have an average of 388 “friends” in their network. And almost everyone knows people with whom they aren’t connected online. That means you face a lot of competition for your client’s attention.

You can’t expect to be memorable and reach further into their inner circles by doing the same things as everyone else. You need to differentiate yourself. Go above and beyond. Surprise your clients. Exceed their expectations.

Ⅸ. Thou Shall Connect on an Emotional Level

People don’t form relationships based on logic alone. If that were the case, we’d all take tests to choose our friends and significant others. Instead we “feel” close to others. It’s all driven by emotion.

When you can tap into emotions, you can form stronger bonds with clients. And that’s what’s going to lead to more referrals and repeat business.

Ⅹ. Thou Shalt Not Be Short Sighted

Relationship marketing takes time.  It could be years before a client needs your services again or knows someone who could be a good referral. But your patience will be rewarded in the long run.

Still not convinced you need to be focused on relationships? This article has the formula you need to determine your ROI on relationship marketing efforts.