HOW TO MANAGE CUSTOMERS? 8 ESSENTIAL TIPS

The most important thing when managing clients is knowing how to manage their expectations. It is often the case that links are affected because they expected better or different outcomes than those achieved. With this not only the confidence of those who hired you for a particular service is diminished, but the whole reputation of your company. This could affect the start of new customer relationships.

 1. Be honest from the first moment

As in life, when you take over a project anything can affect what is planned. Your counterpart must know it, and for this, nothing better than being emphatic, direct and honest about it. You will do your best to meet the goals within the stipulated deadlines, but if something happens that negatively changes the situation, the results will differ from those anticipated. You cannot offer guarantees that everything will go perfectly according to plan. If you do, when a problem that is beyond your reach appears, no one will be able to get out of the head to whom you have been hired that you are responsible for insufficient delays or achievements.

2. Know their needs before they themselves

It basically comprises two points. First, know your own business as the palm of your hand, and keep in mind all areas where your model may be a plus for another company. Second, investigate the weaknesses of your clients’ performance, or the strengths of your competitors. Anticipating the needs of the former will pass through the intersection of your potentialities with the shortcomings of your counterpart. In this way, you will become a support that facilitates your goals: those who have already worked with you, will want to continue to do so. And you’ll also be closer to falling in love with new customers.

3. Promise less and deliver more

It’s as simple as it sounds. Set realistic goals that you know you’ll be able to meet. And leave those other achievements possible, but more difficult to achieve, as a plus that, to realize them, will serve to deliver astonishing results in the closing meetings. It is also a good strategy to set deadlines that allow you to work with time. If you then finish before the deadlines are met, you can deliver the work done in advance and create greater confidence in your abilities.

4. Make known the way you work

If your clients know the people and teams that will help you meet your goals, they will put a face on those responsible and be more empathetic about eventualities. If you communicate effectively the methods you will use to achieve the objectives, you will not feel frustration at not knowing or not understanding at what stage your project is. You are a server and those who trust you, just as when you hire someone to work in your company, know your work habits, strengths and weaknesses.

5. Set objectives and mention them at all meetings

The objectives do not have to be limited to the ultimate result. It also targets the different stages involved. So you will be able to deliver better and more complete progress reports, and provide greater peace of mind and confidence.

6. Help them understand their place in the market.

Many times those who turn to your services know very well their companies or enterprises, but do not have a finite knowledge of the market in which they participate. Or even the results to which they can aspire according to their positioning. You must help them to have a more mature view of the above. In this way, you will avoid that, due to unrealistic conceptions of your business, you demand, for example, results that are impossible to reach.

7. Be Transparent

Problems are not hidden, but communicated effectively. On the other hand, when it comes to how to collect, you must be very clear and avoid those who use your services are found with surprise bills or charges that were never communicated (or were in a small print). Being transparent will generate trust and credibility, and you will witness the constant growth of your reputation.

8. Maintain continuous communication

Reports are an excellent way to keep your informed counterparts informed and, at the same time, give them the feeling that communication channels are always open. Also, be concerned with communicating effectively, being precise and concise, providing the required explanations: misunderstandings open the door to dissatisfaction.

Trust, security and support is what you want to generate in those who put their business in your hands. Following these tips you will have half of this road won and you will get good results when managing clients. The other half is the obvious one: respond with strong results.