Are you tired of wasting time on unproductive customer meetings? Do you want to run an effective meeting that will generate results? Starting a client meeting with an agenda will set you up for success!
Customer meetings can be used as a tool for training and development, tracking and reporting progress, providing feedback on current strategies, or outlining what needs work before moving forward with another project. Meetings with customers are also great opportunities to celebrate successes together!
Every meeting should be tailored according to each company’s unique needs; however, there are a few universal tips that can make your meetings more successful!
Whether you are the one in charge of running it or just attending for feedback, below are some steps that can make this process easier.
1) Setting clear expectations
An effective customer meeting should always begin by setting clear expectations for everyone involved, including yourself! If you’re unsure how long a customer meeting should take or what is expected of those attending, make sure you get clarity before committing time away from other important tasks.
Setting clear customer meeting expectations will allow you to plan accordingly and ensure that everyone is on the same page before diving into any discussions.
2) Starting a client meeting with an agenda
Preparing a meeting agenda is one of the best ways to keep your customer engaged in what you have to say. An agenda can help serve as a guideline for both parties, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks while also allowing you to get right down into business. Whether you’re meeting online, on the phone, or in person, it’s essential to be prepared before beginning any sort of customer interaction.
To prepare for your meeting with the customer, create an agenda with all the topics you wish to cover. Reach out to the customer in advance to see if they have any questions or topics they want to discuss. Doing this will help keep your customer focused and allow them to provide honest feedback.
3) Have a customer-centered end goal
Customer meetings should always have an end goal or desired outcome in mind. Focus on the customer’s goals, not just your own. Their goals may differ from what you expected, so keep this in mind.
Having a customer-centered agenda allows both parties to take ownership of the outcome while also effectively prioritizing each person’s needs.
4) Ask open-ended questions
Asking open-ended questions can significantly improve customer satisfaction when interacting with customers or prospects. Instead of asking “yes” or “no” questions, open-ended questions can help you better understand customer needs and wants. They demonstrate an interest in what the customer has to say while encouraging them to share their stories.
Open-ended questions allow for a more in-depth conversation that will ensure both of you are on the same page before making any decisions together.
Check out our audio tutorial on 20+ effective probing questions you can ask to ensure customer satisfaction!
5) Ask for feedback
It’s important to ask customers for feedback at the end of the meeting. This will allow you to identify areas that need improvement or understand what customers are looking forward to in the future.
By asking for customer feedback at the end of your next customer meeting, you will gain valuable insight into their needs and desires. This information is important to meet their goals successfully.
A few examples of open-ended questions include:
• What do you think we should focus more on? Less on?
• How can I help make future customer interactions better for both of us?
• What would you like to see added or removed from our customer meetings, and why?
• What changes do you think we could make that would help improve customer satisfaction moving forward?
Encouraging the customer to share honest feedback will help you learn what they are looking for in the future.
6) Plan customer meetings in advance
Schedule your meetings in advance so they don’t take up too much of your time and attention later, which could distract from other priorities. Send the meeting agenda and all details to the participants at least a few days in advance to allow them enough time to prepare. This shows customers that you are well-organized and that you value their time.
7) Prevent technical delays
Ensure that the customer meeting runs as smoothly as possible by testing and preparing all your equipment in advance. Prepare and test your computer, camera, projector, and sound system before you meet with your customer. This way, if there is a technical problem, you can take care of it before your meeting.
8) Engage all participants
Make sure that all attendees have the opportunity to contribute to the conversation. Ask questions to everyone is involved in your discussion. Engaging others shows that you are open to customer feedback, which will make them more comfortable sharing their opinions. If multiple people are attending the meeting, make sure that each participant has the chance to speak.
Don’t forget to keep track of customer suggestions and ideas! You may want to write them down or note them somewhere in order not to lose important information. If someone suggests something particularly helpful for future projects, consider sending an email thanking them later for their contribution. This will also remind you about what was discussed!
9) Confirm the next steps
Once your customer meeting is over, it’s important to confirm what you will do next and when to expect updates from each other. This shows that both parties are committed to moving forward with their plans together.
Finally, make sure you always follow up on any action items from the customer meeting! Sending an email summarizing all actions agreed upon during your customer meetings within 24 hours of ending them makes customers feel like their opinions count and demonstrates professionalism.
10) Show customer appreciation
Be sure to end customer meetings on a high note and thank the customers for attending. This is a great way to show customer appreciation and leave them with a positive impression.
By following these tips, you can run successful customer meetings that create positive relationships with customers and increase the value of your product or service!
The most important thing is to treat each customer as a real person and not just another business transaction. If you do this, then your meetings will be very successful for both parties involved!
How to follow up on customer meetings
A meeting is a great opportunity to get customer feedback and input on your business. But how do you follow up?
Make sure that your customer knows what’s going on with the project, provide updates when appropriate, offer help in any way possible, and ask for their advice. Remember that customer meetings are about more than just getting what they want- it’s also about giving them what they need.
Here are some steps you can take to follow up:
- Send a thank-you email. Keep it short and sweet to show your appreciation! Make sure your email is customized to thank them for their input.
- If appropriate, attach a summary of your meeting, any relevant documents, and a list of the next steps. Keep the customer updated on project timelines and news, such as any changes that may affect them.
- Offer help if they need it. For instance, offering a consultation call is helpful because you can answer questions and provide additional insight into what’s going on in between meetings.
- Make yourself available throughout the process, so the customer has access when needed most. This will help them feel more comfortable and thus have a better relationship with your business.
Next time you host a customer meeting, keep these tips in mind, and see what wonderful things come from it! Now go out there and run those meetings like a pro!
