Managing client expectations is the first step toward building a great relationship. But where exactly do client expectations begin to be organized?
Your brand's success depends on the customer's journey - from their first encounter to ongoing interactions. This journey includes factors like cost and communication, so it's important to align your messaging and strategies with your brand and customer management approach.
A crucial aspect of establishing strong relationships with clients is effective onboarding. This involves not only managing expectations, but also gaining a comprehensive understanding of their unique needs. In fact, research indicates that a staggering 90% of customers believe that companies can improve their onboarding process. To ensure that clients are set up for success in the long term, onboarding should be viewed as an ongoing process that involves gathering feedback and data to continually educate and empower clients. A key component of this process involves asking the right questions to enhance the overall onboarding experience. Asking the right questions is a vital component of this process. Open-ended questions, in particular, can reveal useful information about clients and your services, leading to improved client relations.
Onboarding questions that can help you manage client expectations:
When do they hope to have things delivered, and why?
Gartner predicts that over 75% of all customer communication management implementations will be cloud or hybrid solutions this 2023. Asking clients' ideal delivery expectations helps to outline a successful customer communication system and management guidelines for ever-evolving industry and tech environments.
What level of involvement is required from them and what is their availability like, in terms of timing and means of communication?
66% of customers expect companies to understand their needs. Ensuring that clients are informed about their level of involvement and the duration required for each step is vital for attaining success.
Change is inevitable and it's important to be prepared for it.
Life happens, and that's okay. Clear plans and addressing potential challenges are crucial for effective service delivery. Be sure to inform clients of emergency contacts and cancellation procedures during onboarding.
The budget, and how flexible is it?
When you start working with a new client, it's a good idea to ask about their financial plan and how open they are to making changes. This can help you stay on track with the project and make smart decisions about the budget in the future.
Can you share the essential questions for onboarding new customers?
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