The importance of telephone etiquette is nothing new, but it seems that it is very easily ignored. When you are looking for inexpensive marketing tips to help you attract and retain “A” clients, remember that the most important marketing initiative is the way you treat your clients. It costs absolutely nothing to talk pleasantly on the phone, to respond quickly to calls (within 24 hours), to refrain from putting anyone on hold for more than a minute, to be succinct and brief - stating your name and number clearly when leaving a voice message, and to have your own voice message share pertinent data with callers. If you are out of the office all day, or out of town, or attending a conference, your voice message should say so. In this way you can better manage expectations of the caller and they can be realistic about your ability to reply quickly.

It is not easy to build high client retention – it is something every firm has to earn. But you can start the process of creating a great experience for your clients when you leverage the telephone as a key marketing tool – not as a burdensome necessity.