Communication

Client Communication

By Terrence Covin ⋅ December 14, 2007 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

We’ve all been there before. Trapped mercilessly in a prospects board room pitching away into a room of people who are really just price shopping. It’s almost like the matrix. We’re the only ones that don’t know about the secret world as we twirl our ideas into the atmosphere at break neck speed. Feeding the adrenalin that feeds itself. Only to hear at the end!!!! We don’t need all of that?

Or how about the never ending scenario of the know-it-all? prospect that knows more then you do, but not enough to help themselves, however will live vicariously through your every move of the project. Place that here, move your cursor 4 pixels to the right wait..no..to the left..no..to the right, ah..yes, to the up right left down center position. Perfect! I’m so glad I hired you! (ARGGGG! Get out of my head!!!!!, screams Spawn)
We also can’t forget client amnesia. Alright I have no idea what you’re talking about. I never told you to do that despite what the contract says.

Oh how do we end up in these pot holes.

Here at Vision Enhanced we’ve learned that effective client communication starts from the first phone call. If the right information is yanked from the prospects inner core you may learn an opportunity doesn’t exist. If you don’t extract the right information then you could potentially be setting yourself up for a long ride. Prepare chaffing ointment.

We do our best to get involved from the get go. Many times agencies, vendors and freelancers alike are used to being on the interview block, and rarely reverse the tables. Our agency however, wants to know how long the prospect has been in business too, what is their brand, are they trademarked, what has been their current marketing strategy, how they communicate, superman vs spider-man, grits vs cream of wheat and etc.

We believe that if you listen closely, you will be able to gather how serious a prospect is about their existing business and it’s model, or lack of. From this conversation you can gather tremendous amounts of information on possible opportunities that the prospect may have not even thought of due to their current focus on the situation at hand.
We feel that many times what you are hearing from the prospective client, is not what they are trying to say. At times their language is limited because they are not the industry experts. Many times the prospect knows where they want to be but they are unsure of how to get there.

It is our job to listen, observe and free ourselves from thinking like the prospect. If done well, the many pitfalls of miscommunication once your prospect becomes a client, can be avoided.

Analogy:
Prospect walks into a coffee shop and says to the waiter, I’m running a little late this morning. What’s the best coffee you have to offer? I need to wake up a bit.

Bad Client Communication
“Well, here’s our extensive list of superb coffees. We have steamy bocha. Mocha mocha, and chaka latte froffet. Take your pick.”

Good Client Communication
“Ah, I tell you what. Our house brew is great and it’s wonderful with our freshly baked danishes. I bet you didn’t have time for breakfast?”

Tags: agency communication, proactive agencies