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Engaging your client with the intention of listening.

“Seek first to understand and then you will have an opportunity to be understood.”
– Missy Tennant
You’ve listened, taken in the information and knowledge needed to complete the project. Now, we engage, we communicate this information back to our client for clarification.

So, how do we get to this point? It’s important to be engaged with your client, making sure that we have all the information needed to complete a project.

There are four simple steps to follow when engaging with your clients.

  • Listen
  • Repeat
  • Clarify
  • Follow Up

Listen to your client. Pay attention to their wants, needs and goals for the project. As you listen, take notes, highlight the key points to help plan your strategy.

Repeat what you know. When your conversation has ended, repeat what you understand that the client has said.

Clarify, this will clear up any miscommunication. They will also feel like you are actively listening to them and they are being heard.

Follow-up with your client afterwards. Recap your meeting with a follow-up email, giving a detailed explanation of what you now know.

Also, include any actions that needs to be taken and any assignments that were handed out, along with an estimated due date. You can outline any suggestions and solutions that you may have.

McDonald’s Talk
A great example is what we call “McDonald’s Talk”. When you go to order at any drive-thru and use a speaker, rarely are you clearly understood the first time. You may order a Big Mac and large fry and it comes across as a double cheeseburger. You order, they repeat, you clarify and they repeat.

If we slow down and clearly communicate, clarify and repeat, we will save a lot of time later and our clients will trust and know that we truly care!

Author Davant

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