5 Tips on How to Retain Clients and Keep Them Coming Back
An important aspect of building a business is delivering client results.
The #1 client retention strategy is… do great work.
In order to do great work, you have to serve your clients with your natural talents and learned abilities. You also have to understand your own personality and boundaries and have insight into the transformation you provide. This creates a valuable client experience and clients will keep coming back for support.
I’ve learned that what dietitians were taught in school – nutrition education – is only a tiny part of what we need to do with clients to help them make enduring changes. Our clients aren’t just looking for information, they are looking for a place to process that information through a counseling relationship.
Do you want at least 3 new clients in your private practice? Sign up to design a marketing plan in our free challenge Marketing Bootcamp!
Keep reading to discover the importance of keeping clients coming back and my tips on how to retain clients with counseling skills and customer service.
Interested in my top 10 tips for nutrition counseling? Check out our blog: My Top 10 Nutrition Counseling Tips.
3 Reasons Retaining Clients Is Important
As a business owner, it’s important to retain clients to keep your business running and have a meaningful impact. But it’s also so much more than that. Here are 3 reasons why having clients come back is important:
- Coexistence of Business Success and Helping People
It’s absolutely possible to make money in your practice AND make a positive impact in the world. To help people make lasting changes and heal their relationship with food, they need to learn and grow with your help. This is why I value having interactive programs that give clients the time they need to have a transformation.
- Building Deep, Long-Term Relationships
Another reason retaining clients is so important is that the long-term relationships you’ll create allow for meaningful, impactful change in your client’s lives. It’s also easier to see 10 clients 10 times rather than having to constantly find new clients.
- Creating Lasting Impact
The third reason you need to keep clients coming back is because it takes time to build trust and feel safe to open up about their struggles. You need these long-term relationships to build and lead to significant life changes for clients.
Now that you’ve got a pretty good understanding of why it’s important to retain clients, it’s time for 5 tips to keep your clients coming back.
Remember, you deserve to take up space in business.
Tip #1: Be a Great Counselor
My #1 tip on how to retain clients is to be a good counselor. Focus on truly listening to your clients, showing empathy, and providing the support they need.
Clients are more likely to return when they feel understood and valued. Your ability to connect with them on a deeper level is what makes the difference.
At Pursuing Private Practice, we always like to say “Doing good work with clients is the most important “marketing strategy” you could ever have.
We also hold the belief that you can start a private practice with little clinical and counseling experience, but you should want clinical supervision.
If you’re looking for more support with supervision, read our blog: Transform Your Business With Dietitian Supervision.
Tip #2: Stay Present
Everybody has bad days, stressful weeks, and times when they just feel off. That’s okay. We’re human and we have ups and downs, just like a business has ups and downs.
It’s important to acknowledge how you feel on any given day, but it’s also important to remember that you have a duty to remain fully present and engaged during sessions.
Show your clients that you care by being attentive and responsive to their needs. Presence builds trust and shows your clients that you genuinely care about their progress.
Tip #3: See the Meaningful Work Come to Life
Your clients’ hard work deserves to be seen and acknowledged. Work on celebrating wins with your clients, no matter how big or small.
At Pursuing Private Practice, we celebrate ALL wins, whether it’s life or business-related, it all gets celebrated.
Celebrating validates your client’s efforts and boosts their confidence. It helps them acknowledge the tangible results of their hard work, making them more likely to stay committed to the process and continue their journey with you.
Tip #4 Sit in the Discomfort & Let Go of Your Ego
The next tip on how to retain clients is to sit in the discomfort and let go of your ego.
Sometimes, sessions will be uncomfortable. There will be moments of silence, tears, and breakthroughs that may challenge your own perceptions and beliefs.
Sit in these moments and allow your clients to feel safe to express their emotions without judgment.
Let go of the need to have all the answers or “fix” everything immediately. Trust the process and be there to support your clients through their journey, even when it’s hard.
Tip #5: Set, Enforce, Reassess, and Change Your Boundaries
The 5th and final tip on how to retain clients is to consistently evaluate and change your boundaries.
Boundaries are crucial for you and your clients to have a sustainable and positive relationship. Setting boundaries is HARD, but necessary and worth it.
Sometimes, it’s difficult to know when to let someone push past or ignore a boundary. Here are some common ones we see come up in Business School that we work through:
- Taking non-ideal clients
- Agreeing to do work outside your zone of genius
- Not enforcing your cancellation policy
And, we know there are issues with taking time for self-care including:
- Mental self-care
- Physical self-care
- Spiritual self-care
So, what’s a busy business owner to do?
Here’s a 3-step plan to help you with your boundaries:
- Think and feel about what’s going on. What are you feeling about the situation? What are your mind and heart telling you about it?
- Project forward and ask what your future self is going to say about it. Maybe you’re tempted to take a client you know isn’t your ideal client. How will your future self feel when it is time to meet with that client?
- Decide what to do – do you let the boundary go or enforce it? You get to make the decision. And, taking time to make a thoughtful decision puts you in control. If you look back later and regret the decision, you can remember what happened and make a different one next time.
Boundaries aren’t meant to be like fixed walls. They’re more like a movable fence that allows them to be moved and reconfigured when needed.
When you feel someone, yourself, or your business is pushing your boundaries, stop and use the three steps above to decide what to do.
Because the most important asset of your business is… YOU!
If you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will.
How to Retain Clients: The Takeaway
As a private practice owner, you know the importance of retaining clients. It’s needed to keep your business running, but it’s so much deeper than that. It’s about:
- Coexistence of Business Success and Helping People
- Building Deep, Long-Term Relationships
- Creating Lasting Impact
The idea of retaining clients is a lot easier said than done. From 10 years of experience as a private practice dietitian, I’ve gathered my best tips on retaining clients. I want to help YOU be the dietitian you were meant to be.
I want to give you the advice you need to work hard, challenge yourself, and take up space in the business world to be the business owner you want to be.
So, here are my 5 tips to retain clients:
- Be a Great Counselor
- Stay Present
- See the Meaningful Work Come to Life
- Sit in the Discomfort & Let Go of Your Ego
- Set, Enforce, Reassess, and Change Your Boundaries
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all in life or business. Take these tips and use them in a way that aligns with your values. Make sure to maintain your personal boundaries, prioritize self-care, and have fun in the process!
Want to work with me to build your private practice?
Business School is a comprehensive 6-month program designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you’re fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you’ll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You’ll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you’re supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner. Learn more and apply!
