3 Business Meeting Tips to Fix Strained Ties With a Valued Client
In a tough economy, losing a high-value client can be a massive blow to any business. Sometimes, it only takes one poor meeting to end a years-old association. Even when a patron does not sever the alliance upfront, they may give you less business than usual. This behavior is a version of the quiet quitting trend that has gained popularity post-COVID.
Strained client relationships can also impact a business’s likelihood of building new partnerships. Bad word of mouth travels fast, and many companies value reviews from trusted allies.
Before giving up, it is advisable not to leave any stone unturned to fix a failing client relationship.
#1 Fresh Location for Fresh Beginnings
When a business rendezvous doesn’t go as planned, it can sour your association with the location and setting. It works the same way for clients. They may link your offering with the dullness of a staid meeting. Lacking spark and novelty.
Exploring a new setting for follow-up meetings can declare your commitment to rectifying past mistakes. A fresh location for the client can help them shed former apprehensions and listen to your pitch anew.
You can consider booking a meeting in another office section, like a brainstorming room or a conference setting. Or you could rent a meeting room that is conveniently located for your client and offers technical and service assistance. For example, a few office rentals in New York provide onsite greetings and catering. That way, you needn’t lose your calm if the Big Apple’s traffic makes you late.
Your specific business considerations will be crucial while booking a room for a client interaction. For instance, a meeting space rental in NYC should accommodate last-minute meetings and overruns. The city is notorious for its fast-paced lifestyle and busy professional lives. A more laid-back business can pick rooms with a vibe that matches its essence.
Another consideration is the budget, which might already be low due to the potential business loss from a dissatisfied client. Business owners can perceive the rental costs as a potential balm, communicating the desire to make new beginnings.
Moreover, startups and small business owners can explore options like day passes for numerous meetings. The Farm Soho recommends assessing your needs and booking multiple days for cost-effectiveness. Also, account for the costs of catering and beverages, which some packages may include.
#2 Overhauling Vocabulary and Phraseology
Many strained relationships begin with an incorrectly chosen word. Perhaps you intended to communicate a message, but the client perceived something different.
Communication-based misunderstandings emanate from many sources. PwC’s latest trust survey found that trust is a concern, with 94% of executives facing challenges in building stakeholder trust. Another cause is a lack of clarity about what the other party wants. Even C-suite peers are struggling to understand and trust each other. Only 44% of C-suite executives trust their colleagues to a great extent.
These concerns can become a significant cause of strained relationships with clients. Before the meeting, it can help to revisit recent communication. Identify potential shortcomings that may have bred misunderstanding. You can list these possible sources of strife and make a conscious plan to address them.
For instance, a client may have reacted to a perceived lack of accountability and ownership from a business owner. CX Today recommends focusing on “empathy statements” to change people’s minds. A good example is, “I’m sorry you had to face this.” Another powerful phraseology to emphasize teamwork is “Let us work this out together.”
It is worth noting that more communication-related problems occur during virtual and remote meetings. It is easier to misinterpret when you cannot see facial expressions. It builds a strong case for face-to-face meetings at least a few times during the association.
#3 Bringing Tangible Value to the Meeting
Your most potent response to a frayed client relationship is offering tangible value upfront. If you cherish the client, you must prove it to them with meaningful, actionable work they can use.
For example, if the last client interaction went south due to an unsatisfactory pitch, why not have a fresh one ready in a completely different direction? It is worth the extra effort, even if you strongly believe in the earlier idea. It does not mean the “client is always right.” It only means you can adapt and change to maintain a meaningful alliance.
Other ways to add tangible value could be a customer feedback report or a social media sentiment analysis. These documents will tell clients about their customer response and expectations, which are always relevant and necessary.
In this age of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality, providing value clients can see and measure will give you an advantage. Fortune notes that many businesses remain skeptical of AI due to its potential for hallucinating false information and deepening existing biases in a model’s training data. Such clients will unlikely be pleased with a virtual value addition during a meeting.
A business meeting is a potent tool. It can make or break a relationship. These tips will help business owners and employees to soothe frayed nerves and repair an alliance they cherish.
Even if you cannot fix the issue and still lose the client, you will at least have the reassurance of having tried. The client in question may have gone in another direction. But chances are they will feel less embittered about your business than before, which cannot be bad.
