As an account manager, you want to build strong and lasting relationships with your clients. One of the best ways to do that is to gather their feedback regularly and use it to improve your service and meet their needs. But how can you collect feedback effectively and make your clients feel heard and valued? Here are some tips to help you.
There are many ways to gather feedback from your clients, such as surveys, interviews, reviews, testimonials, or social media comments. The method you choose depends on your goals, your resources, and your clients' preferences. For example, if you want to measure their overall satisfaction, you might use a simple survey with a rating scale or a net promoter score (NPS) question. If you want to dive deeper into their pain points, challenges, and expectations, you might conduct a one-on-one interview or a focus group. If you want to showcase their success stories and generate social proof, you might ask them to write a review or a testimonial. Whatever method you use, make sure it is easy, convenient, and relevant for your clients.
I find that the key lies in choosing the right methods tailored to individual goals, available resources, and client preferences. For overall satisfaction metrics, a simple survey or net promoter score question may suffice, while deeper explorations into pain points benefit from one-on-one interviews or focus groups. The essence is to make the feedback process easy, convenient, and relevant for clients, demonstrating a genuine commitment to understanding and incorporating their perspectives into the ongoing evolution of products or services.
- Choose the right method AND pick the right time: Perfect timing means never let feedback gathering get in the way of your clients experiencing your product/service. It should feel like a window of opportunity for clients to collaborate with you so they can get the most out of your service in the future. - Act and follow up: Show clients they have been heard not only by acknowledging, but also with action. Share with them that you have asked higher tiers for their wanted discount, created a task for the engineering team to look into the bug, etc. - Incentives: Provide benefits to your customers to thank them for their time, insights, and honesty.
To get productive results, identify what you want to learn, involve representatives of your target audience, collect and analyze data, prioritize feedback, and use it to guide development decisions. Choose feedback methods that suit individual goals, available resources, and client preferences. For overall satisfaction, use a simple survey or net promoter score question. For deeper insights, use one-on-one interviews or focus groups. Make the feedback process easy, convenient, and relevant to clients to demonstrate a genuine commitment to understanding and incorporating their perspectives into your products or services.
Here is how we reach out to our clients to ensure they are heard and looked after. 1. Thoughtful Surveys - Well designed and easy to complete surveys go a long way to encourage maximum participation. 2. Personalized Response - Respond promptly and ensure the response is personalized by referencing specific comments or concerns that were raised. 3. Feedback Appreciation - Let the client know their opinions are valued and contribute positive change. 4. Implement Visible Changes - Make visible improvements based on clients suggestions. Share updates on these changes to demonstrate responsiveness. 5. Regular and open communication - A regular connect call goes a long way to discuss any ongoing need or feedback.
Gathering client feedback is crucial for understanding their needs, improving your products or services, and demonstrating that you value their opinions. -Create Open Channels of Communication -Surveys and Questionnaires -Active Listening -Feedback Sessions -Transparent Communication You can create a feedback loop that not only collects valuable insights but also reinforces a positive relationship with your clients, making them feel heard, valued, and appreciated.
The quality of your feedback depends largely on the quality of your questions. You want to ask questions that are clear, specific, and actionable. Avoid questions that are vague, ambiguous, or leading. For example, instead of asking "How do you like our service?", ask "What aspects of our service do you find most valuable and why?" or "How can we improve our service to better meet your needs?" Also, avoid asking too many questions or questions that are irrelevant or intrusive. You want to respect your clients' time and privacy and focus on the most important topics.
Asking the right questions is crucial for collecting valuable feedback from clients. Start with general questions and let clients lead the conversation. Strike a balance between rating and open-ended questions. Follow up and take decisive action if changes are needed. Examples of questions include: overall experience, specific aspects of service, areas for improvement, alignment with expectations, communication, and suggestions for enhancement.
Asking the right questions is paramount in ensuring client satisfaction. However, I do find starting with general questions allows them to lead the primary focus which leads to more specific questions. The general question may be if they are finding the processes you have provided them to be more efficient for their team. Client says they find a certain process tedious. You can then ask specific questions about that exact process and what makes them feel it was tedious to identify a better process that leads to satisfaction. Time is valuable but if you are too specific early on, you are closing the scope of feedback you may receive.
In my years coaching and training sales reps, and even thinking about many of my own successful feedback calls, the best way to get constructive feedback is to just come out and ask for it. “How are we doing?” “What could be better?” “I will share your feedback with my team.” All of these questions and statements go a long way. Be human and let the client know that their answers are being taken seriously, being heard, and is coming from a partner.
Breaking the habit of closed or leading questions is key in this regard. I feel conscious effort needs to be taken to develop this skill. You will find the answer to "Can we improve our service?" is very different from the answer to "How can we improve our service?". Hypothetical questions can close a lot of gaps in account management too, for example... "If you were in my shoes, how would you do things differently?"
Asking the right questions is key. Add a balance of rating questions (i.e. level of service, NPS) but also ensure there are open ended questions they allow clients to give answers specific to their needs. But more important than questions is the follow up; respond to clients (or generally if anonymous) and be decisive in taking action if change or improvements are needed.
Gathering feedback is not enough. You also need to listen and acknowledge what your clients are saying. Listening means paying attention, asking follow-up questions, and showing empathy. Acknowledging means thanking them for their feedback, validating their opinions, and summarizing their main points. By listening and acknowledging, you show your clients that you care about their views and experiences and that you value their input.
I believe that's the first step one should do. Listening is very powerful only if we listen to understand! It gives you the right insights for the next steps which are analysis and action.
Listening and acknowledging client feedback is crucial for building positive relationships and ensuring client satisfaction. When clients provide feedback, it's important to actively listen, acknowledge their concerns or suggestions, and demonstrate that their input is valued. This not only fosters a sense of being heard but also shows a commitment to continuous improvement. Responding thoughtfully to client feedback can contribute to client retention, loyalty, and overall success in account management.
To build positive relationships and ensure client satisfaction, it's not enough to just gather feedback. You must also listen and acknowledge what your clients are saying. Listening means being present, showing empathy, and asking follow-up questions. Acknowledging means thanking them, validating their opinions, and summarizing their key points. By doing this, you show your clients that you care about their views and value their input.
Listening and acknowledging the client feedback, will make a client feel important and be part of decision making that will elevate the company growth and development
Business Development & Sales Leadership | Strategic Partnership | Tech Believer
In my logic, communication work both ways. It's not about negotiating, renewal, or problem solving. It's about humanizing the relationship. B2b is one thing. Hence, when you connect in a human to human way. Acknowledging and validating is beyond business. Which will create a longer continuity????
The final step is to analyze and act on the feedback you receive. Analyzing means sorting, categorizing, and interpreting the feedback to identify patterns, trends, and insights. Acting means using the feedback to make changes, improvements, or adjustments to your service, processes, or communication. You also need to communicate the actions you take to your clients and explain how their feedback influenced your decisions. By analyzing and acting, you show your clients that you take their feedback seriously and that you are committed to delivering the best results.
Always make sure you are matching the energy of your client. If they are urgent, you’ve got to be urgent too: “I’ll get this done right away. It’s as important to me as it is to you.” If they are excited, ride that wave of optimism. “ I’m really excited to be partnering with you on this!” If they seem disengaged, ask if this is something that is important to them. “Is this something that is important to you?” It isn’t always easy to pick up on a client’s feelings but there are always tell-tale signs that a client is one of these categories. Once you know which one they are, you’ll one what to do next.
Acting on client feedback is crucial for maintaining positive relationships and ensuring client satisfaction. Regularly seeking and responding to feedback demonstrates a commitment to meeting their needs and enhancing the overall quality of service. This fosters trust and contributes to a positive reputation for your business.
Acting on feedback is the most difficult, but also the most important element of the feedback process. As feedback from clients is likely to vary, the action you take may require trade offs, how you manage this is important to ensure you don't so unnecessary damage to existing relationships. The second challenge is that action will often require wider (than just the AM team)stakeholder buy-in. Getting internal stakeholders to take ownership and prioritise client improvements can be difficult so you must clearly articulate the benefits (e.g. higher revenues, reduced issues, faster onboarding etc.). Consistent failure to act on feedback has the potential to lose client trust and cause increased dissatisfaction.
Analyzing and acting on client feedback is crucial in maintaining positive client relationships. It ensures that clients feel heard and valued, which is essential for client satisfaction and long-term business success. By actively listening to client feedback, addressing concerns, and implementing improvements based on their input, you demonstrate a commitment to meeting their needs and enhancing the overall quality of service. This proactive approach not only fosters trust but also contributes to a positive reputation for your business. Regularly seeking and responding to client feedback is a key component of effective client management.
I think this is the most important. I personally feel as if people would rather say nothing and get nothing, than to lay out their concerns and feel like no one listened. Companies should act in the best interest of the stakeholders, part of that is understanding them and continuing to provide value.
One of the benefits of gathering feedback is that it can help you generate more feedback. By soliciting feedback from your clients, you encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings with you and with others. You can also share the feedback you receive with your team, your management, or your prospects. Sharing feedback can help you celebrate your achievements, identify your areas of improvement, and showcase your value proposition. By soliciting and sharing, you create a positive feedback loop that can enhance your reputation, loyalty, and growth.
Collecting feedback from clients has many benefits. It encourages them to share their thoughts with others, helps you identify areas of improvement, and promotes your business. Sharing feedback with your team demonstrates your client-focused approach, fosters trust, and improves collaboration. Effective communication of client feedback is essential for building positive client relationships.
Soliciting and sharing client feedback is an important aspect of maintaining positive client relationships. By actively seeking feedback, you demonstrate a commitment to understanding and addressing client needs. Sharing this feedback with relevant teams within your organization not only helps in continuous improvement but also shows clients that their opinions are valued and taken seriously. It contributes to a more transparent and collaborative relationship, fostering trust and satisfaction. Effective communication of client feedback is a key element in ensuring clients feel heard and appreciated.
Soliciting feedback not only gathers valuable insights but also encourages more sharing, creating a positive feedback loop. Sharing this feedback with your team, management, and prospects celebrates successes, highlights areas for improvement, and showcases your value. This process enhances your reputation, fosters loyalty, and supports growth by demonstrating a commitment to listening and adapting based on client input. It’s a powerful tool for building trust and demonstrating continuous improvement.
When seeking feedback, the goal often revolves around collecting positive testimonials for case studies. However, for genuine insights to drive growth, consider these 3 strategies: Anonymity: Allow clients to express themselves by keeping their responses anonymous. This encourages honest feedback without concerns about damaging relationships. Feedback Pattern: Request feedback regularly, adapting the frequency to your business needs—whether it's quarterly or yearly. Consistency ensures a continuous flow of insights. Transparency: During meetings, openly discuss a weakness revealed in recent feedback. Example: "In a recent survey, we identified a weakness and are actively addressing it." This demonstrates a commitment to improvement.
Feedback is a way to improve a process or function. Don’t be afraid of the negative. If someone is willing to share a negative with you, it means they had an experience that affected them (although negative) and they want to share how it went wrong. Take that feedback, adjust or eliminate that step or process and then share with that customer how their feedback changed your process for the better. You may end up with an even more passionate customer of your service in the long run.
Something else to consider when seeking client feedback, is to schedule time on the calendar monthly (or whatever cadence works best) to check in and discuss feedback. The benefits of this are: 1. It's already scheduled 2. It allows for open honest communication. If there is negative feedback, you can address it immediately. 3. It's a pro-active approach to ensuring your client is happy and makes it hard for them top go to the competition.
If the organisation you work in is truly client focused seeking and acting on client feedback should be a core activity. When you consistently and actively seek out, acknowledge, and act on feedback, you show your clients that you are committed to delivering the best service possible. It will build a collaborative and trusting relationship with clients that allows you to deliver increased value over time.