Here at VersaTel Solutions our clients are the core of the business because a company must continue to grow and evolve to continually meet client needs. Ensuring client happiness is the best way to get them to continue to use our products and services over other businesses’.
Project managers (PM) on projects that require a direct working relationship with a client may find themselves in a unique position to help groom and nurture that relationship and keep it healthy.
Clients expect a certain level of service from a partner company, and a project manager is part of the effort in keeping those clients happy, working in tandem with other key stakeholders.
The PM has insight and knowledge into day-to-day progress and can anticipate issues in advance. This gives project managers the ability to convey relevant information in a timely manner and keep clients satisfied. PMs can keep clients in the know by:
- Reporting on metrics and analytics, including budget use
- Expertly tracking and managing scope creep
- Managing and being transparent with the project plan and timeline
- Providing ongoing project status updates
- Staying on top of risk and potential solutions
The best tips on how to communicate to clients that maintain their happiness are simple. Be sure to set boundaries early on, and create a cadence of communication that includes set meetings and review and feedback opportunities. Some things to keep in mind in providing a successful PM/client relationship include:
- Get everything in writing: Confirm every question and decision in writing, that could be in email, messaging, hard copy, or in a digital document.
- Establish clear and consistent communication: Set meetings and check-ins, and determine how these are to take place, possibly via phone or online meeting, etc
- Prep clients in advance with agendas: Send the meeting plan ahead of time for any presentations; it’s very helpful to see before (within 24 hours) or following a meeting.
- Maintain a schedule and meeting cadence: Weekly and deliverable-based meetings are a good starting point. You want just enough of their time to keep them informed.
- Meet offline: Be available to meet on the phone or in person every so often to nurture an in-person relationship
- Ask for feedback: Check in every so often to ask how things are going, what can be improved or changed, and what is going well.
- Offer solutions: For any issue, think it through with the team and offer many options A, B, and C for items that are complex or involve additional spend. There is always a way to resolve, and having a choice is empowering for your clients.
We take pride in our ability to be more to our clients than a transaction. We’re here to have conversations, brainstorm with you, come up with ideas, and produce solutions.When you’re in the service industry, nothing is more important than keeping our clients happy.