Clear, timely communication with your prospects and clients is key to great customer service, repeat sales and long-term relationships. Here are five ways you can streamline the process and communicate more quickly and effectively.

Clean Up Your Inbox

Don’t let your email inbox get crowded with junk. Do a little spring cleaning and delete old messages and unsubscribe from mailing lists. You’ll find the important stuff more quickly, and you’ll be less likely to miss an important email. Develop a filing system so you can find things easily. At least once a day, organize your messages so you can start back up the next morning quickly and know what to prioritize.

Ask the Right Questions

At the beginning of a new project, speak with your prospect or client about their brand story, marketing objectives and goals with the promotion, not just color and quantity. If they’re new to you, ask qualifying questions like “Are you the decision-maker?” “What problem are you trying to solve?” and “Why weren’t you happy with your last distributor?” Their responses can determine if it’s worth pursuing them as a client.

Provide Up-to-Date Information

If a prospect or client has a question that you’re not able to answer immediately, it’s tempting to want to offer one without being completely sure. But this can lead to issues down the line. Instead, tell them you’ll find out immediately and get back to them as soon as possible. Ultimately, the extra step will save time and the client will respect your honesty.

Send Handwritten Thank You Notes

After the conclusion of a client’s project, send handwritten notes of appreciation to everyone involved. If they’re still working remotely, ask for home addresses so everyone receives a personal card and message. A brief note written by hand has impact and shows gratitude for them choosing to work with you. Also consider sending a small food gift, such as a chocolate box.

Ask for Feedback

Although it might feel awkward, ask clients regularly for their honest feedback on your performance. Whether the order was a resounding success or hit a few snags along the way, there’s always room to improve. Choose customers who will be gentle but honest and constructive, and don’t take the feedback personally. Use it as a tool to continue to up your sales and customer service game. If you and the client agree the project went well, don’t forget to ask for a referral.