What the 7 Love Languages Can Teach Us About Client Relationships
Most of us are familiar with the concept of the seven love languages. And with Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we hope you are as well. Initially developed in 1992 by author Gary Chapman, the love languages are non-verbal forms of communication used by romantic partners to deepen their relationship and strengthen their bond.
Naturally, we are not encouraging anyone to start treating their business clients the way they would their romantic partners, but determining your clients' love languages within a professional context can have a positive influence on your interactions. By leaning into and adapting to your client’s love languages, you can express deeper, more honest appreciation for them and improve your relationship moving forward.
Understanding the Love Languages
Historically, we have understood the five original love languages to be:
Acts of Service
Quality Time
Words of Affirmation
Gift Giving
Physical Touch
More recently, two additional love languages have been introduced to the broader concept:
Shared Experiences, such as attending events and traveling together on vacations and getaways.
Emotional Security, such as feeling safe and secure with a partner and being able to share deep feelings without fear of judgment.
In the context of a business relationship, think of the love languages as expressions of the following attributes:
Activity
Practical solutions
Appreciation
Financial gifting
Appropriate physical contact (i.e. handshakes and hugs)
Intellectual bond
Emotional support
Your clients are most likely to respond positively to interactions that display thoughtfulness in each of these areas at any given time. However, focusing on the primary love language that your client values above all else can go a long way to earning a client’s trust and loyalty.
Determining Your Clients’ Love Languages
The simplest way to discover your clients’ primary love languages is to include specific inquiries in the onboarding process that help identify their pain points. For example, ask your clients how best they like to receive forms of appreciation and acknowledgment. Be sure that your questionnaire includes more general descriptors rather than the actual love languages, which would be odd in a business setting. Your client’s pain points and goals could also serve as useful indicators of their primary love language.
Additionally, take note of when your clients express gratitude and show appreciation for your work. Pay attention to their reactions to invitations to in-person events, gifts, and physical contact, such as handshakes and hugs.
Listen to how your clients talk about their personal lives. You can learn a lot by listening to how your clients discuss their holidays and vacations, how they spend time with their families, and how they react to receiving gifts and invitations to events.
How the Love Languages Apply to Professional Relationships
After discovering which love language best serves your client, consider how best to translate that information into actionable items. Below are just a few suggestions for ways in which business owners can utilize the seven love languages to establish a more personal bond with clients.
Acts of Service (Activity)
Inviting a client to a charity or volunteer function
Discussing and advising clients on investment opportunities related to a client’s preferred social causes.
Quality Time (Solutions)
Working with your client to brainstorm, develop, and implement new strategies for your shared projects and goals.
Words of Affirmation (Appreciation)
Regularly providing a client with positive feedback.
Sending thank you cards or emails to express gratitude.
Providing positive reviews and testimonials for a client’s business.
Gift Giving (Financial)
Sending your client a token of appreciation, such as a gift basket, for holidays, birthdays, milestones, and other special occasions.
Physical Touch (Contact)
Prioritizing comfortable eye contact, confident body language, handshakes, and other appropriate ways to show physical affection in the business world.
Shared Experiences (Bond)
Taking a client out to lunch, golf, concerts, networking events, and other social functions.
Emotional Security (Support)
Employing vulnerability, transparency, guidance, and encouragement in your communications with your client.
Leading with Empathy and Integrity
Prioritizing your client’s primary love language can greatly impact how you interact with them and can help you demonstrate a deeper appreciation for your partnership. However, just as with romantic relationships, demonstrating care for your clients must come from a place of genuine emotion and understanding.
While deeper bonds with your clients can help save your business time and money, working within the frameworks of the seven love languages can serve as a reminder of a client’s unique goals, priorities, and visions of success. Allow the love languages to help not just inform how to approach your clients’ needs, but also to develop a greater sense of understanding and empathy for your clients as human beings first and foremost.
Looking for further guidance on how to improve client relationships? Get in touch with our office today at 443-534-6783 or email us at jesse@sebastianlaneconsulting.com to learn how our fractional sales management services can help your business develop strategies focused on building stronger bonds with your clients, both old and new.