Engaging clients in Crisis

Hope all of you are coping up in this unprecedented time. Staying safe and healthy with family and friends virtually J 2 video calls / face time with friends and family.

All of us are settling down in this new norm now, which has no end date as of today, unfortunately

Most of us ended up working remotely from home supporting our end clients in all possible ways. From day 1 in my career - ‘We treat our clients/customers as KING’.   Let us see how we can keep them engaged during this COVID crisis.  Crisis come in unexpectedly and when we least know about it.  Before we realize about it, it surrounds us or we are already into it.

Just like Traffic light, we have 3 different actions

• Continue our client Relationship as usual
• Deepen relationship when clients are not buying
•  Have frequent and transparent discussion

•  Business development activities should  slow down
•   Strengthening trusted relationship precede sales.

     This I see day in and day out…. My husband mortgage

     officer does this… before he    makes a real deal in

     the system, he will know the entire horoscope  of 

     the buyer… J

•     Do not be overly aggressive on sales
•         Do not convince our self that no one will  buy -  yes 

    COVID took a hit on   Travel & hospitality sector,  but other sector like Life Science /Pharma ,  Healthcare and Insurance are looking for  opportunities to  expand.

•        Do not go too extremes - Pessimistic or Optimistic. Do  not be over the top unrealistic  or be a  hopeless person of ‘doom and gloom’  

1. Shift the mindset

From Expert to Advisor

·        We need to change our mindset from ‘Experts’ to ‘Advisors’. Experts wear narrow view lens, while the advisors wear wider view ones.  

·        We have to see the client’s REAL needs now, even if it is outside of our solution area and help them accordingly, than to push one of our known solutions.

From Selling to Eager Buyer.

·        Trying to sell for long-term solution is not the right time NOW.

·        Check the client’s important needs now, if you have ready-made solution, this the right time to talk about it and help them.  

From Limitations to Opportunities.

·        None of us has ever been in this situation earlier or do we have a history about similar situation and how they overcame that, hence think best about our clients. 

·        As we say adversity is the mother of invention - try to convert the limitations to opportunities.

Eg. Make onsite employees work little longer and have them billed to the client - from 8 to 10 / 11 hours.

2. Walk in their shoes.

We should start asking thoughtful questions – which will help to guide our behavior and assist them accordingly.

a)   What are they going through

b)   What are they thinking

c)   What are they feeling

d)   What are the pressure, they are under?

Questions can be personal too.  We need to listen, yes really listen.

3. Look ahead of the curve

Proactively recommend changes to the current project.  Get ahead of our client and suggest how the existing project need to restructured / rearranged in order to overcome the situation, we are in.

a)   New ways to  interact – Webex /zoom calls.

b)   New tech for Virtual Delivery - redesign delivery process and methods.

c)   Redeploy team for client new needs.  If offshore delivery is an issue, rotate out onsite bench resources.

d)   If need change the talent mix of our team

4. Be at the “crossroad of the marketplace”.

1.  Make our self, valuable to the client, by being at the “crossroad of the marketplace”. 
2.  The more you are in the flow, the more you know, and the more you can add value to the client.
3.   We would have seen similar situation with other clients.  We can replicate our learning across clients.
4.    Even if you do not have a solution for their problem, you can get back to them at the earliest.
5.    Reach out to known networks.  Search for vital issues and solution, synthesize our learning and present it to the client.

5. Other ways to add Value.

a) Education / Training: Take our vast implied knowledge and experience make it plain / explicit training program, not only for our employees, can extend it to the clients too.

b) Sounding board –

1.         You can be a sounding board, ask good questions to them, and bounce off ideas from clients too.
2.         You should be talking to as many people in the network.
3.         You need not have answer to all our client’s questions.

c) Extend Helping Hand -   however and wherever possible, without getting in their way.  If they are focused on settling their internal issues,  if you  have a better solution, help  them with ideas , instead of being quiet.

Good Luck!