The Essential Guide to Customer Meetings

To let all the members stand on one page, it is important to hail customer meetings. Although a meeting might cater to a specific objective, but what each of them have in common is building strong relationships. Meeting customer requirements and expectations is a must. And that is where a planned meeting serves the purpose.

Gone are the days when meetings were about sipping coffee and checking-in with weekly updates. You should now strive to imbue more strategy and streamline your moves. This way, you enhance the customer trust quotient and boost your client base.

Customer meetings should primarily put a spotlight on the customer and not much about ‘how you doing’. See it as a potent tool for exchanging and exploring insights. A great meeting should kick start with a great agenda. Meeting with customers and clients should be about nourishing ideas and carving out accomplishments. Think of this as your biggest opportunity to minimize the specter of incoming attrition.

Dig into this article as it walks you through the dos and don’ts of a customer meeting. Also, there are some exceptional tips on your way. Here are six such pointers to get you some thinking:

1. Begin with an Agenda
2. Pause and Pace
3. Rope in all Customers
4. Technical Preparations
5. Positive Outlook 
6. Wind up on a High Note

Begin with an Agenda

Jolt down what you wish to cover in the meeting. Your prime focus should be on addressing the customers’ needs – right from the general ones to rather specific ones. Channelize your thoughts in a manner that goes well with the time and space as well.

If you please, you may use fliers to elaborate on your subject. Also, ensure that you make enough copies for the customers to refer to and make notes accordingly.

Pro Tip: Meet and greet your customers well. If possible assign someone this task of taking customer meeting minutes as well.

Pause and Pace

If you are the one who is the primary speaker of the meeting, then you must learn the art of pausing and pacing. As the head speaker, you might have to speak a lot. But remember to take the requisite pauses whenever needed. An all-time nodding customer might not be a really positive sign.

Pro Tip: Interact and make eye contact with the customer as much as you can. During your talk, ask questions and keep them engaged. If there are times where you haven’t taken a pause for over a minute or so, back up. This could be a red flag for the listeners and they might get bored.

Rope in all Customers

It does not look healthful if you are presenting only to the chairman or CEO of the company. Include each of the customers in your presentation. Do not avoid a certain section of your audience or don’t get too friendly with a certain part too.

Pro Tip: Say, you are making a point, take a break, look at the customers, check if they are following, and then continue.

In case, any of your clients face discomfort or are not able to apprehend what you just said, attend to them with utmost diligence and respect. Your presentation loses its pertinence if your audience does not follow what you are saying.

Technical Preparations

You may be a great speaker and have the gift of the gab, but it all nullifies when you are not supported by the right technical tools. Check all the video tools once before the show turns live. See if your laptop is completely charged. Connect to the projector way in advance and look for glitches if any. In simpler terms, run through a strict checklist before you can actually begin your presentation in front of the customers.

Pro Tip: Do a testing rehearsal an hour or day prior to the main meeting. Use this demo to test all the technical facets. This will avoid all the unnecessary delays in your final meeting and can save you from embarrassment too!

Positive Outlook 

It really counts when your customers see you in a positive light. For starters, look sharp and speak sharp. The second-most important thing is to not underestimate any of your competitions if they come up. Laud them for their work and efforts. Having said that, you can explain to your customers why they should be choosing you over them, in an absolute refined manner.

Pro Tip: Implant grace in all of your speeches. Refrain from using words that are harsh and hurtful. Instead, focus on showing your customers why you are the best.

Wind up on a High Note

The best way to wind up a meeting is by giving the customers a recapitulation. Chalk out in bullets, the things that were discussed, and how they were helpful. If possible, assign them responsibilities or some tasks and plan to discuss them in the next meeting. This shows the audience that you truly care about the outcomes of the meeting.

Pro Tip: Speak with enthusiasm. Not too feeble voice, or one that does not need a microphone, but just about right. End the meeting on a footnote that promises a budding future and shows progress. With the end of this meeting, they should have left with a healthy stance.

That’s a Wrap

When viewed from the perspective of a sales, marketing, or product’s team, some of the details which might look mundane at first can convert into stellar insights. These insights from customer meetings can contribute to revamping the sales scripts, brochure copy, and feature updates as well. Not only that, with this they have a good chance at decreasing churn and boosting the revenue bar.

Begin using your customer meetings as an enriching platform from which you can start off by cooperating with the customer success teams. On top of that, add on persistent procedures, modern technology, and a streamlined approach. When you do that, you will definitely pave the way to a great meeting as we have discussed above.