DANNY : DE HEKELITE : 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.

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?

Transcribed by Otter

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