ELITE : SIX Think Tank meetings are discussed over Zoom with our members every Friday at 9:30am.

Facilitated by DANNY : DE HEK meetings are recorded for our Podcast, we’ve been doing this since COVID-19 if you’re interested in joining in with us check out our Website at www.elite6.co.nz

EXPERIENCES

• Agree content/define scope upfront
• Spend adequate time upfront to really understand the need/task
• Try to exceed customer expectations to ensure a long-term relationship
• Remember to check in with your clients from time to time to ensure you are meeting their needs
• Never ASSUME, because when you ASSUME, you make an ASS of U and ME
• Set realistic expectations/be honest – avoid “faking it until you make it”
• Understand your customer – what’s important or unimportant to them and communicate as such
• Communicate regularly – “no surprises”
• Agree a schedule of tasks (have a plan)
• Send out feedback forms or even feed-forward forms

PROBLEMS

• Reluctant to pay when the invoice reaches them
• Making assumption
• Poor communication
• Disagreement over what was promised vs what was delivered
• Spending time away from delivering core expectation
• Unrealistic expectations, lack of customer understanding of tasks/costs involved
• Scope creep
• Know the customer you have got, research their background.
• Staff/contractors letting you down

SOLUTIONS

• Ask creative questions to expand clients brief, understand their problems, goals, aims. Listen, reflect what you have heard.
• Explain your scope, deliverables, process, program & cost. Explain your expectations of them.
• Ensure that the customer fully understands the process / product
• Create a scope document and manage changes (variations)
• Get feedback from customers
• Be responsive to genuine problems or issues
• Use case studies as illustrations
• Educate the customer in the value they are receiving for “this” and why they are not getting “that”
• Offer new clients to talk to past clients – removes some doubt and uncertainty over working together
• Monitor progress confirm milestones as reached, confirm approval & acceptance, & instruction to proceed.
• Differentiate between what you can do and what you can’t
• “Know what you know” … don’t over sell. Big risk to reputation
• Over-deliver will always lead to positive client satisfaction
• Contracts, terms of engagement
• Exceeding expectations
• Lead by example

TAKES AWAY

• Document all agreements made
• Maintain good, regular communication (no surprises)
• Don’t over promise. Be realistic/honest over expectations
• Quality does not come cheap. “Pay peanuts, get monkeys”
• Maintain good client relationships to ensure open two way communication
• Cherish customer relationships … beware of “radio silence”
• Look for “win-win” outcomes. Needs to be mutual benefit

NEXT WEEKS TOPIC

• WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SUPPORT LOCAL?