No Attrition

You ever heard the phrase “You never get a second chance to make a first impression?” In the longitudinal research world, this is especially true. The way you present yourself to your clients or contacts can affect your outcome dramatically. Especially your clothes. This goes for the office or out in the field. 

For instance, when I was looking for my substance abusing clients I did everything in my power to not look like a police officer. Rock T’s, a backwards hat, Converse shoes…the whole works. I’m not saying people didn’t look me up and down, but they never thought I was a cop. If I would have looked for my clients in business casual, nobody would have talked to me. 

Make sure to think about what (appropriate) attire will make your clients as comfortable as possible. It can make all the difference. 

Everybody loves a party. Or a free meal. You can use this to your advantage. At the university, we threw a couple barbeques every summer. We’d invite all our current clients a couple weeks in advance. Then we’d buy some burgers, hot dogs and soda and set up shop at a nearby park. The benefits were plenty:

1. Touch base with clients.
See how they’re doing. Remind them of their future appointments. Overall, just hang with them. Great rapport opportunity.

2. Get the word on the no-shows.
Because we were working with people from the street, they seemed to know each other or knew of each other. Plus, many were inclined to talk about what was happening on the street, so we always listened for the status of other clients. Barbeques presented a perfect opportunity for this to happen. Remember, word will spread about the party on the street too.

3. Give your staff a day in the sun. 
You’re not only building rapport with clients, but the same goes for your staff.  Hanging out in the sun, eating some food and listening to music sounds pretty good to a lot of people.

So throw a party!  You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.