5 Tips for Delivering True Business Value to Clients
Traditional software strategies don't work in the new world of customer empowerment. Here's what needs to change.
By Greg Gianforte, RightNow
May 19, 2010
Since the beginning, "Customer is King" has been the motto for customer service, but too often software companies take a very self-centered approach to engaging with their clients. What can I offer them? Rather then what do they need. How do I want to work with them? Rather then how do they want to work with me. If something goes wrong, do you look to place blame or automatically think about how you can learn from the situation?
The key to great customer experience is fostering a long lasting relationship built on trust and delivering true business value to your clients. Furthermore, the rise of the cloud or software-as-a-service puts even more pressure on software companies to be accountable for their relationships. Gone are the days where you take your money and run. If you don't invest to deliver true value for your clients, it will inevitably be seen in your customer churn.
So what is true business value? In short, true business value results from a deep understanding of what a client is looking to achieve and how you can map to that larger initiative, help grow their business and set them up for success. How to do it? Here are my top 5 tips for delivering true business value to your clients.
1. Understand Clients Business Goals
If you can't align with a key business initiative of a client, then no amount of selling will create an opportunity. I start many initial client meetings with the question "What do you need to make happen?" It gives the client an opportunity to discuss their larger initiatives and concerns and allows me to better understand what is driving that customer. If you can align with a key initiative then the project is already funded and you are already aligned with something that is important to them. Continue to dig deeper with open ended questions about the nature of the issues that they are trying to deal with as an organization. Having a better understanding of the clients overall business focus and key initiatives, regardless of your solution, better prepares you to deliver true value.
2. Quarterly Business Reviews
Too many software companies approach customer relationships from a transaction perspective. If a vendor wants to have a long term relationship with a client, you need to invest in the relationship even if there isn't an immediate transaction to be had. Quarterly business reviews provide the opportunity to stay in front of executive management and understand how their business initiatives are evolving over time and how you are executing against them. This essentially acts as the governance meeting to ensure that you are staying on track and holding you accountable to your work and the relationship.
The key to great customer experience is fostering a long lasting relationship built on trust and delivering true business value to your clients. Furthermore, the rise of the cloud or software-as-a-service puts even more pressure on software companies to be accountable for their relationships. Gone are the days where you take your money and run. If you don't invest to deliver true value for your clients, it will inevitably be seen in your customer churn.
So what is true business value? In short, true business value results from a deep understanding of what a client is looking to achieve and how you can map to that larger initiative, help grow their business and set them up for success. How to do it? Here are my top 5 tips for delivering true business value to your clients.
1. Understand Clients Business Goals
If you can't align with a key business initiative of a client, then no amount of selling will create an opportunity. I start many initial client meetings with the question "What do you need to make happen?" It gives the client an opportunity to discuss their larger initiatives and concerns and allows me to better understand what is driving that customer. If you can align with a key initiative then the project is already funded and you are already aligned with something that is important to them. Continue to dig deeper with open ended questions about the nature of the issues that they are trying to deal with as an organization. Having a better understanding of the clients overall business focus and key initiatives, regardless of your solution, better prepares you to deliver true value.
2. Quarterly Business Reviews
Too many software companies approach customer relationships from a transaction perspective. If a vendor wants to have a long term relationship with a client, you need to invest in the relationship even if there isn't an immediate transaction to be had. Quarterly business reviews provide the opportunity to stay in front of executive management and understand how their business initiatives are evolving over time and how you are executing against them. This essentially acts as the governance meeting to ensure that you are staying on track and holding you accountable to your work and the relationship.
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