We’ve all had a relationship go sour over time, a communication breakdown if you will. Here are 4 tips to keep communications flowing throughout the relationship.
As a business leader the communication piece is our responsibility. Our responsibility is to look after the interests of our clients – end of story.
Here’s 4 top ways to avoid a communication breakdown:
1. Meet with all decision makers at least once a quarter.
During this meeting, it’s important to allow time to openly discuss issues they may have. Oftentimes, managers will simply allude to problems, but not want to throw any one under the bus. Instead, try to get the specifics, find the source, and clear up any communication issues.
2. Set up a monthly or quarterly meeting with your primary point of contact.
This is a great time to see what issues employees are reporting to their superiors which allows you, the vendor, to resolve them in a timely manner. During this meeting, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss solutions to move their organization to the next level.
3. Determine a series of metrics agreed upon by both you and the client.
Make sure to send out a monthly report to all decision makers so they can see if you are hitting your key performance indicators (KPIs).
4. Send out surveys to the client’s entire company.
By sending out surveys, you’ll see exactly what challenges all employees are facing. When you give them a voice in the conversation, they’ll become an advocate to move the organization forward.
In order to maintain a healthy, long-term relationship with your clients, it’s essential to implement the steps above. If a client refuses to meet with you quarterly or doesn’t want to set goals, then it may be time to cut ties with that specific client.
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