Happy Hour (Client Relationships)

We kicked things off with a familiar truth: most of us get our best leads through referrals — but most of us are also leaving those referrals entirely up to chance.

What followed was a jam-packed conversation where we swapped tips, stories, and strategies for how to actively nurture client relationships — both during and after a project — so those warm leads keep coming, and our clients stick around.

Here’s what stood out…

Highlights & Takeaways

Touchpoint Emails

• A simple, personal check-in email every 70 days has been one of the easiest and most valuable things I’ve implemented.
• I use Airtable to automate reminders and keep the loop going.
• A few great touchpoint ideas:
  • “Is this contact info still current?”
  • “Want me to remove any old users from your site?”
  • “New review on your Google profile — want me to add it to the site?”
  • “This plugin added a new feature — want to try it?”

Friday Emails (a.k.a. Project Status Updates)

• A lot of people love them — especially the “What we did / What’s next / What we need from you” format.
• Some prefer to send them Tuesday instead, so clients actually read them and don’t enter the weekend stressed.
• Automating a weekly reminder to send them can keep things consistent.

Gift-Giving Ideas

• Holiday cards, spring-themed gifts, launch gifts, and personalized touches like birthdays all came up.
• Even a $10 gift or handwritten note can go a long way in staying top-of-mind.
• Bonus: Gifts outside of December tend to stand out more.

Staying Connected with Past Clients

• Follow them on social and engage naturally.
• Send helpful one-off offers like adding Termageddon or a privacy policy.
• Create calendar reminders based on launch anniversaries to check in.

Referral Programs

• One attendee sends a $50 Amazon gift card (as a surprise!) for every referred project.
• Others run structured affiliate programs with recurring commissions.
• Food-based gratitude (donuts, pizza) also works — especially with frontline employees who actually talk to clients.

Learning from Lost Sales

• Asking “Why didn’t we win this?” can help refine your pitch — just make sure it doesn’t feel like a second sales call.
• Frame it as: “This helps me get better — no pitch, just learning.”
• Sometimes the loss is over something simple you didn’t spell out (like “mobile responsive”), so clarity in your proposals matters.

Proposal Presentation Tips

• More people are listing everything they do (strategy, architecture, QA, etc.) — not just “design + dev.”
• This helps clients see the full scope and feel the value, even if the price is bundled.