|
How to lose a
client starts with how you
manage clients. If you do not
understand your client, that is,
their issues, situation and so
on, before you begin a job, then
you will run into client
relationship challenges.
Essentially, if you don't know
what they really need from you,
how can you meet their
expectations?
How you
communicate with a client will
do a lot to kill any inherent or
accumulated trust. If you react
to clients - wait for them to
call you - rather than be
proactive with issues and job
progress, higher and higher
roadblock go up in your client
relationship. When you don't
communicate with a client, when
you delay in responding to a
client request, barbed wire
rolls across those roadblocks.
And if you hold
back on surprises. . .
. . .you're
laying cement across the
roadblocks. To raise those
roadblocks into Berlin Walls,
you need to hide things when
they go wrong -- Don't call,
Don't visit, Don't send an
email. And if you are unlucky
enough to have your client find
out about the problems before
they pay you in full, sidestep
as long as possible. Then act
surprised as if you didn't
understand what your client was
talking about.
After you calm
your cash flow fears, install
gun turrets on top of the Berlin
Walls you're building: Point
fingers. Start with vendors.
Then point a
finger at one of the client's
people. Better still, blame the
client himself!
Finally, do not
give a damage estimate. Tell the
client you will simply add Time
and Materials to their
problem. And remember, there is
no alternative solution. Ever.
That's how to
lose a client.
But if you do the
opposite - you take
responsibility and be proactive,
you show that you want the
client and care about their
success, then you will
grow your client's
trust. You might meet - or
heaven forbid, exceed
client expectations!
 |
