Want to have happy clients who can’t live without you? Deliver an outstanding client experience with professional level knowledge, advice, and project management. When it’s well managed and executed, the experience itself creates a great feeling with infectious energy that clients want to replicate.
When a business chooses to hire a service provider or consultant to help with a business need, they are hiring that person/company to be experts and guide the process. Clients rely on their professional service providers to share knowledge and advice and help make the best decisions for their business.
The person who is the lead client contact (project manager, account manager, producer) can make or break the relationship with their project management skills. When you make excellent customer-focused project management a part of your culture, it shows in the delivery and clients will love it.
A good client manager will:
- Listen to the client needs
- Propose a solution that fills those needs
- Develop a schedule
- Communicate efficiently, promptly, and proactively throughout the process
- Deliver what’s been promised based on that schedule – on time*. If you deliver early, you win extra points!
*What you deliver must be well thought through, reviewed, & proofed before delivery. An on-time, yet rushed & sloppy job does not win points.
A well-managed experience can provide a level of energy throughout the process that builds momentum and an enthusiasm to continue working together. This is truly when the client doesn’t go out looking for a replacement, but rather looks ahead to future opportunities to work together.
On the other hand…
If the client has to ask the leading questions to get to their desired/expected results, it’s not likely creating a good experience. Remember, they’ve hired a professional and expect to be given professional advice and guidance. If that’s not what they’re getting, why do they need to hire the “professional”? A bad experience is pretty much a recipe for replacement.
A few other sure-fire ways to create a bad experience:
• Not delivering on time
• Having bad attitude about the project or client
• Not returning phone calls or email
• Getting mad at the client for being ignorant*
*A client who doesn’t understand the ins & outs of the provider’s industry and how it can impact their business is a great opportunity to educate them, raise their level of understanding, and ultimately increases their interest to do more business.
I love working with smart, enthusiastic people. A great experience not only makes me a happy client, but an eager promoter of the business. Want to get referrals? Start by offering an outstanding client experience!
Content provided by Q4intelligence
Photo by kremen4886
