How to get the best out of client meetings
Practitioners can report significant improved results by implementing a new systematic approach to client meetings, explains Practice Perfect founder Finola McManus.
McManus takes a closer look at what the most successful practices do when they hold a client meeting.
How often do you have a client meeting where the following happens?
- The client is late or sometimes doesn't turn up at all
- You are running late and leave the client waiting for a while before you are ready to start the meeting
- When it does start it goes on for too long
- Much of the time is spent trawling through audit and account queries and trying to finalise accounts
- You are apprehensive about having to talk to the client about fees and debtors and often avoid or 'forget' to
- You rarely generate any extra work from the meeting and see it as 'something that has to be done'
- There is no real format to the meeting and you end up spending a fair bit of time chatting about nothing in particular
- You end the meeting not really knowing if the client is happy or not
- Once the client has left you kick yourself for 'forgetting' to talk about things that you had planned to but didn't get round to it or feel comfortable with mentioning
- You then don't get around to writing up your notes from the meeting to give to staff or send anything to the client
- You don't follow anything up with the client after the meeting and think 'well that's that then for another year!'
Ring any bells with you?
Here is what the most successful practices do when they hold a client meeting
Continued...
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Making meetings work 1 thanks
Fantastic advice: simple and straightforward. I'm sure the vast majority of practices don't manage their meetings effectively. Making a few simple changes, and applying them consistently, can have a profoundly positive effect.
For the last 18 months or so we have worked to a written agenda in each client meeting and it's made a real difference. Consequently we never forget to ask clients what issues they face, what they think of us and how we could improve our service and we always ask for, and receive, referrals.
Great advice 1 thanks
Somehow we all know this at the back of our mind. We often needs to be reminded to practice what we know.
ALL meetings 1 thanks
Great summary Finola. I would add that all meetings need agendas and the same degree of preparation and follow-up, whether they are planning for a client assignment or "just internal". jstuckey's comment is a good one - I've had many examples where one person has sent an agenda to confirm a meeting and this has resulted in a change to a more convenient time. Occassionally, the meeting's been cancelled, but at least with some notice and before people have travelled!
I also find that, with a clear agenda, if someone is unable to make a meeting, they are still able to send responses or their information with others.
Fantastic advice 1 thanks
This is such a simple thing to do - in theory - but rarely done in any practice I have worked in.
I must admit that, while we do have a systemfor this, it often gets overlooked.
For the regular quarterly meetings I hold with clients, we work to a set agenda and follow a similar approach to that mentioned and we have seen the following:
• more referrals from these clients
• additional work orders from issues on the agenda
• client happiness is almost 10 out of 10
It really does work - but you have to do it systematically and that's what we'll be working on over the next quarter!!