The Art of Client Retention. Ep. 5

Client retention is both an art and a science. It’s about keeping clients happy and delivering, but there’s another piece that isn’t quite as tangible. On this episode of One Step Beyond, we get to the heart of Client Retention with Michael Mendillo, President at FirstService Residential East and Robert Francis, President & CEO Planned Companies, two leaders who we consider to be experts on the subject. Our guests share their expertise and personal philosophy on how they approach client retention, the importance of being committed to the client relationship and the skills every leader needs to hone to retain clients in the modern business world.

On this episode we talk about:

  • How our guests approach client retention.
  • Building relationships that stand the test of time.
  • The importance of building a passionate culture and hiring the right people.
  • The skills needed to bring to clients every day and in crisis moments.
  • Grit and courage and the mindset that there is no lost client.
  • When and how to push back with clients.
  • The dangers of rolling over.
  • Lessons from losing a client.

About our guests:

Michael Mendillo is an equity partner with FirstService Residential, the largest residential management company in North America. As president and principal, Michael’s responsibilities include client retention, leadership development, culture building, organizational growth and strategic initiatives. Michael possesses first-hand knowledge of industry and corporate trends and challenges, having directly pitched and closed some of the largest communities in the region.  Michael is responsible for identifying, due diligence and negotiation of all regional acquisitions – through closing and integration. He has been involved in 24 such strategic acquisitions including The Niles Company, Community Management Group and the Abbott Group, attributing to the key growth of the organization. Through a charismatic personality, a genuine connection with and passion for people, Michael has become a prolific public speaker on such topics as community association management, entrepreneurialism, leadership, vision, corporate culture and the relationship between service and business.

Robert Francis represents the fourth generation of leadership in the real estate service industry and is passionate about building the Planned Companies brand that is synonymous with accountable, professional service. His focus is on associate and client satisfaction and retention, new business development and overall guidance and support for all Planned Companies initiatives. During his tenure at Planned, Francis grew the Building Service division and expanded into the security and concierge business by launching Planned Security Services in 2002 and Planned Lifestyle Services in 2004, significantly increasing the Planned Companies brand throughout the northeast within a short period of time. Francis has instituted quality control measures and a corporate culture at Planned that has resulted in substantial company growth and industry leading client and associate retention rates.He earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania, obtained his MBA from The Stem School of business at NYU while working in the business. Prior to joining Planned Companies, he worked at Viacom and Anderson Consulting.

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