Six Steps on Client Handling

1. Think & act as owner while dealing with client & not as employee: When you think as owner your whole perceptions of looking at client gets changed. Then you will start feeling need of establishing long term relationship with client & your focus will change accordingly. I’ve seen many a times even manager level people who are more project profitability focused misses this point of vital importance which leads to screwing up relations with most important entity of any organization named client. Core purpose of organization is to serve clients. That’s why you are into business. Managers have short term goals but no one would like to attain that at cost of losing client which can severely hamper future business.
2. Do enough analysis before interacting with prospective & existing clients: Take your clients very seriously & if you are purely into service business then make sure you train your employees in interacting with clients. Before approaching your prospective customers, you should try to get familiarize with what sort of business they are into, what are their needs, what are their pain areas, how you can add value to them, what are their preferences, their processes, who are the decision makers on their side, with whom they are engaged for similar services which you are providing, how can you prove your points of superior quality services etc.
3. Act Proactively rather than reactively: It is a good idea that you do follow up with your customers on regular periodical basis to collect their feedback about your services. Try to identify exact root cause of problem highlighted by them happening in your own process & apply fix there. If something needs to get corrected at client’s side process then gentle notification should be made to them. You should not try to force them. It should go as suggestion from your end leaving decision up to them.
4. Stick to key rules 1 & 2: Rule 1 says client or customer is always right & rule 2 says if customer is wrong then refer rule #1.
5. Try to read customer’s message between lines: Do not expect customer to mention their needs explicitly all the time. Many a times needs are implicit. So try to understand those needs as well by asking right questions. When in doubt, discuss with customers to get it clarified rather than leaving it on assumptions.
6. Talk in terms of what customer wants: That’s the only way to establish friendly relations with customer or any other human being. Life becomes really easy if you have good friendly relations with your customer. Many a times, you might have to go extra miles by putting extra efforts but at end of day it really pays off. You will enjoy your work & your job will always be more secured as your boss knows that customers like interacting & doing business with you.