Selling Professional Services - Responsiveness Trumps Everything

A client or prospective client calls in a panic, and you're in the middle of a call, a report, a meeting, etc. What do you do?

Only you know which priorities come first in your business. I can't tell you to walk out of the meeting with your largest client to take a phone call. Just remember, though, you don't have to solve the customer's problem right away - you just need to acknowledge it as soon as possible. When a customer leaves a message or a voice mail that's in regard to a pressing matter, the clock begins ticking. Their perception of you and your firm drops with each moment that passes before you get back to them.
A call back to say, "I received your message, and as soon as I get back in the office/get through with this meeting/or have a chance to review your files, I'll get back to you," if it's done expeditiously, can really impress a customer.

The same theory applies to e-mail. Respond to an e- mail message by acknowledging that you received the info and will address the issue as soon as it is practical.

There's a saying that, "Clients don't care how much you know 'til they know how much you care." It's not about where you rank them on your priority list, it's about whether or not they "feel" that you share their concerns. If you don't seem to find their problems important, they'll find one of your competitors who does!