In order for a business to continue to grow and prosper, retaining clients is a priority: Without repeat businessand the word of mouth it bringsit can be hard for a company to find long-term success.

As there area lot of different strategies for client retention, it's important to findout which approacheswill work best for your business. Tolearn more, weasked membersofForbes Business Councilto share their preferred methods of client retention, as well as whythey're so effective.

Members discussa few ways companies can improve customer retention.

1. Build Personal Relationships

Our client retention is all about building personal relationships. Our business is focused on authentic, pre-owned luxury and our clients are used to a certain level of service and care. Our customer care team personally reaches out to clients to help them with personal shopping via email, text and phone calls. -Emily Erkel,LePrix

2. A Simple, Enjoyable Onboarding Process

Many entrepreneurs create customer journeys just to funnel a visitor to a lead and into a buyer. But stopping here, there is no focus further on building the relationship with a customer after they purchase your product or service. Creating a membership site as a bonus in the onboarding process for your customers or students can create a customer for life. -Marian Esanu,Marketing Strategist

3. Transparency

Transparency is the golden answer. Give away as much as you can and dont be afraid of losing control. Employing a sticky solution so your client is dependent on your services only gives you a false sense of job security. If you can demonstrate that your expertise will bring value to your clients business, they will retain you. Be flexible, innovative, creative and most of all, transparent. -Mori Kabiri,Counself Inc.

4. A Focus On Customer Service

It can be very challenging to enter a customer's mind space, let alone retaining them. In a consumer business, it's far more convenient for us to create campaigns to capture customer's attention, but it's a much greater "impact" when we provide a better service. That is what creates word-of-mouth, which is by far the most powerful way to not only acquire customers but truly retain them. -Neha Kesarwani,Vertoe

5. Frequent Follow-Up

The key to retention is constant follow-up. We like to make sure that our clients are happy. We send them coupons for different services they might need as our company provides a broad spectrum of home services,andwe send gifts and personalized handwritten notes. Our goal is to make our clients feel safe and valued. -Sardor Umrdinov,Home Alliance

6. Overcommunication

The best way to guard against any client issue is to align goals, process and personalities from the outset. If there are fundamental differences, a successful result is almost impossible to obtain. Therefore, overcommunication is the only way to make sure that clients are understanding, on the same page and glad to have you service them (or want to obtain your service) with no drama. -Dandan Zhu,DG Recruit

7. Achievable, Upfront Expectations

Transparency is the most effective aspect of client retention. Be honest with them about what you know, and what you dont know. Set expectations upfront and let them know when you feel like you cant deliver on your promises. People are used to hearing a million excuses. Treat them with respect, and theyll reciprocate with their loyalty. -Corey Lewis,1AND1 Life

8. Truly Listening To Clients

Too often, companies and service providers view clients as walking dollar signs instead of human beings. Just like all of us other humans, clients want to be heard, feel a connection and get the work done. That's why its essential to build trust by listening and seeking to understand, being honest, seeking to serve and delivering amazing work. After all, it's a relationship, not a transaction. -Robyn Bolton,Mile Zero LLC

9. Proactive Post-Sale Service

In a highly competitive market, it all boils down to your level of service. If you are proactive in providing after-sale servicestaying in touch with your clientsyou would not only have a better chance of retaining your clients for a long time but also getting additional business through their reference. Create an effective customer service program and stick to it. -Syed Gilani,Safr Technologies Inc.

10. Multi-Channel Touches

It's darned easy to lose customers. Why? They buy, pay and keep quiet. Before you know it, if you don't focus on retention, they will be gone. We believe in touches. An email newsletter, a small gift, a call to say hi, asking about underserved needs, a discount every once in a while you can think of more. It's critically important to stay in touch in as many ways as possible, frequently. -Andrew Fox,SuperJeweler.com

11. Exceed Expectations On Every Level

Our clients are paramount to us and we work very hard at exceeding their expectations. If we are delivering three ideas, we'll do four. If they need an extra round, we don't charge. We check on them throughout the year, try and get together when we are in their cities. We never miss a deadline. We make complex projects as simple as we can for them, often we are one of many vendors on their plate. -Audrey Arbeeny,Audiobrain

12. Treat Clients Like Family

As a luxury travel provider,we arentselling a single product or even a specific trip, but rather an experience. Part of that experience is being treated like family. Go the extra mile to meet your clients' requests, build a connection beyond just business, and be available, especially when things go wrong. These moments will stick with clients and are the foundation for loyalty and trust. -Alex Weissman,Elite Travel Agency

13. Train Your Team To Nurture Client Relationships

Customer service is key. This is a focus on the process so clients understand the framework of our business operations. We want them to have the freedom and flexibility to run their business while they know how we work. We share marketplace intelligence about client campaigns so they can learn how to better nurture their clients outside of an advertising framework. -Robert Brill,BrillMedia.co

More here:
Keeping Customers: 13 Client Retention Strategies That Work - Forbes