It’s All About Knowing Your Clients.

The key to any project success depends on how well a leader/manager understands customer needs or requirements and manages customer expectations. Over the years of my experience with various customers, I have come across various behaviors and attitudes, some easy to manage; some hard.

Easy-going customers
I have found these customers the easiest to manage. The project runs smooth. Expectations are managed and met comfortably. However, such customers tend to delay in their feedback and responses which has an adverse effect on the project, especially during its final stages.

Committed customers
Managing such customers requires one to be as committed as they are. While this is a good thing, it can also be a bad thing. While commitment from our end is highly appreciated, over-commitment from them demands more of our time. No manager/leader, especially those who manage multiple customers, would find this feasible.

Aggressive & Demanding customers
It requires a lot of thought and effort to manage such customers. They have very high expectations and any mistake, however small it may be, is not tolerated. I have always been on my toes with such customers.

Customers who cannot be reasoned with
They are unreasonable and mostly unsatisfied. There is always tension on the project because issues tend to get escalated too often. Though I have not found a single working formula to manage such customers, I
know over time such customers can be kept under control.

Customers who don’t know what they want
I find these customers the unmanageable kind. Their requirements or needs change rapidly due of which set expectations are never met. They are the kind who listen but do not understand. To be successful with such customers,
- The project must be process-oriented
- Customers should be made aware of the rules of engagement
- Requirements, plans, etc need to be signed-off
- Changes have to be managed and billed

There are some key traits that I’ve learnt as a leader and one should keep in mind when interacting and managing customers.
- Be committed to goals or expectations.
- Negotiate when needed.
- Maintain a professional relationship; don’t get personal.
- Don’t do charity; Treat a change as a change.
- Don’t delay responses.

I am sure all you managers and leaders out there have come across many more behaviours in your customers. However, like in any relationship in life, YOU have to be compatible to make the relationship a success. So, learn to work the relationship for it to work for you.