Yesterday I sent you an email about simple follow-up strategies you can use to build relationships with potential clients or influencers in your field.

But the most important follow-up of all is, of course, how you follow up with your clients and customers.

After any purchase “buyers remorse” often kicks in. Especially if the purchase was a large one.

The more you can do in that period to reassure your customer that they've made the right decision, the more likely they are to stick around for the long haul and buy more from you.

Any kind of personal message from you will help. Not just an automated email but a genuinely personal message, perhaps a written letter or a personal video.

An unexpected gift or bonus can work really well. In the retail world many stores give away a coupon to new customers which they can redeem against future purchases. There's no reason why we can't do something similar for professional services too.

Paradoxically, re-communicating your guarantee or any money-back offer in an early message makes it less likely they'll call on it because it reduces their anxiety about having made the right decision.

If your product or service is complex then a “getting started” guide can be very helpful by showing new clients how they'll be able to get going fast and get value from you.

In fact the biggest impact you can have with early follow-up is to get your new client using and getting benefits from your product or service quickly.

Once they're getting value they're unlikely to waver. But if they delay getting started then buyers remorse can grow stronger and you can lose them either immediately or over the long run.

So, what follow-up do you do to make sure your new clients or customers have a brilliant initial experience?