What do you do if your relationships with clients and stakeholders in Live Events are not strong enough?

You hire Whitestone Media for their authentic, relaxed creativity and delivery focussed confidence to help build trust back up with the client...and leave them with content and a show that they'll never forget.

Clear communication from the very beginning is key to build trust, all while providing complete transparency within each conversation, no matter the platform.

Relationships in Business , personal life and practically everywhere is really everything ! People will remember how you made them feel more than anything else that transpires. If your client relationship for a particular event is not the best , then find common grounds where you can make it better. If nothing works then its time rope in the troops - meaning get one of your peers or team members to be the liaison to smoothen the road but you must have your finger on the pulse all the time Live events are dynamic and people get sparked off for the smallest of things , so the art of being cool under pressure and being that go to person is key. Good luck to all those individuals who take event management as their core - Great respect !!

I think if you are going to have a conversation of this nature, you should preface it with your awareness of the situation and that you are looking to improve and or address the issue. All to often people don't go into conversation or meetings with an objective so setting this ahead of time will ensure the other person isn't caught off guard and can also potentially reply in a more measured and constructive way.

1. Improve Communication: Clear and consistent communication is essential. 2. Personalized Approach: Tailor your interactions and services to meet each client or stakeholder's specific requirements. 3. Value-Added Services: Offer additional services or resources that provide value beyond your primary offerings. 4. Collaborative Planning: Involve clients and stakeholders in the planning process to ensure their inputs are incorporated. 5. Recognize and Celebrate Successes: Acknowledge and celebrate milestones, project completions, or other achievements with clients and stakeholders. 6. Build Trust Through Transparency: Be transparent about any challenges, setbacks, or limitations that may impact your work.

I always rely on organising a discussion, face to face is better if you can, this often breaks the ice if all concerned are not seeing the full picture. But you must have an agenda with time to take in points raised. When the ice is broken it is much easier and even enjoyable to move forward, and the odd issue that crops up can be delt with as you will know the person on the call.

Create an informal "formality" where conversation can be easier to engage and feels less constrictive. Avoid "across the table" boardroom meetings which can seem accusatory and blame-seeking. Approach all conversations with a "How can I help YOU win" thoughtfulness instead of "How can I make my job easier" quick-win mindset. Problems will always arise, and having the ability to talk to each other like real people working toward a common goal is far more productive than trying to come out on top. If you are to blame, accept responsibility with grace and humility and move on. This will establish your trustworthiness and allow others to do the same.

In my professional experience, communication is key. Especially when there are multiple departments with the same goals. There also needs to be follow through. Leaders need to really demonstrate this concept.

Right, there is some potential to reach clients via email activities, the personal contact is much more efficient though. I am in events / music and tourism marketing of the America Line Depot, railway museum station, so I do some touring to the affiliated tourist managers, offices and some interested business areas. Explaining my activities and how this might work for the addressed business with advert and relationship opportunities mostly is based on sympathy. Showing up your face at a nice visit mostly helps... If contacts are too far away, just send a mail - with Your foto - and try the good old phone, it did work for me, so far ;-)

Engage with the client to know more if there is gap or an expectation that you failed to reach, then find the idea way forward...

En la industria de los eventos hay dos aspectos que son fundamentales para generar confianza: Conocer los aspectos técnicos, comerciales y operativos y demostrarlo a través de ejemplos de otros eventos, y por otro lado si no se conocen estos aspectos buscar a los profesionales especializados y mantener reuniones con ellos. Un punto extra es mantener una comunicación bastante fluida y directa, hablando con honestidad de todo, absolutamente todo lo que tenga que ver con la necesidad del cliente.

Be your authentic self. People can see through the cracks if they look hard enough. Build trust by being respectful, attentive, and thoughtful.

In the live events industry, trust is paramount, as so much hinges on it. Building trust requires consistent delivery of high-quality work and following through on promises. Demonstrating reliability by meeting deadlines and being responsive to communications is crucial. Moreover, when mistakes occur, it's essential to take ownership and present a plan to prevent similar issues in the future. Over time, these actions not only rectify errors but also fortify the trust between you and your clients, establishing a solid foundation for long-lasting relationships.

Most of our work comes through word of mouth but sometimes we have a new client that is not familiar with our quality and work standards. We build trust with these clients with consistent quality of work product, good communication, and transparency in billing. We want to deliver the best value to help them succeed, not make a quick buck at their expense.

I build trust by leading our Customers with empathy when something becomes overwhelming or challenging. Over time, that trust is built and the bar is raised by all parts, enabling processes to be more straightforward and you can allocate more time to focus on innovation.

In my experience, personal touch works or sometimes it doesn’t. You also need to ensure that the parties and not insecure in their own work. Just make their lives easier and network a lot, do the work they don’t want to do. That’s the way to go about it.

In addition to providing a great event production experience, one way we provide value is by having a post event recap meeting to discuss what went well, what could’ve been better, and how we can make the next event the best possible. This shows we are invested in our clients’ continued growth and success.

Adding value is something I try to do every day. It’s a constant push pull of marketing, sales and adding value. Adding value can be done in the form of communicating with your clients, booking a call with them and this in turn builds the relationship and trust.

To fortify relationships, it's essential to surpass expectations and enhance your clients' experiences. This could entail offering insights into industry trends, proposing innovative event concepts, or assisting with unrelated issues they may encounter. By actively contributing to their success in various ways, clients will perceive you as an invaluable asset to their team rather than just a service provider. This approach not only strengthens your professional bond but also fosters long-term partnerships built on trust and mutual benefit.

Go above and beyond if you can see something greater for both parties involved. This requires some patience and educating those around you, especially in your team. Live events are amazing for businesses and brands to get to know each other on a deeper level. Attend them to add value to your business and build your network.

Handwritten thank you notes are one way we give a personal touch to our clients and crew members. We are so grateful for them and they make what we do possible. There’s just something special about taking the time to write something, even if my handwriting is rusty!

My experience is when you meet someone face-to-face, shake hands, and talk even for a while. It’s a milestone in future relations; even later contact is by LinkedIn, email, or whatsup.

In live events, client relationships are often long-term. Treat them like long-term relationships. Check in occasionally, even if just to say 'hi' over a video call to keep the connection warm. Invite them to provide input before an event and critical feedback after an event--make sure they feel heard and regarded as a partner. Anything that humanizes the experience and builds a more personal relationship individual-to-individual, while still maintaining the boundaries you need to run your business effectively.

I find as a somewhat introverted person, it can be difficult to sell myself to clients. Now, I'm not afraid to talk to anyone one on one or even in a small group, but I won't enter into a competition to be the loud talker or talk over anyone else. So here is what I do; Be a listener - really pay attention to what the client envisions and do your best to provide all that and more. Find ways to make your client need to think less. Now I'm not suggesting that clients don't have good ideas or inherently incapable, but if they don't have to think about the little things, they'll love you for it. I've gone so far as to color code microphones to match the carpet the presenter needed to stand on. No mess, I'm going to blue, grab the blue mic.

Additionally, regularly to update about new offerings, or new technology available for an upcoming projects, while share official festival posts.

We strive to get better with every single event. One way we do this is by discussing how the event went with our team and what we can do to make it more smooth, efficient, and successful for the next time around. We are constantly investing in new gear and tinkering with our set-up to make it stronger and more efficient.

Finding out and remembering things about your clients really adds the personal touch, and shows that you have been paying attention and also makes you stand out and look like you care which is huge.

Im always taking notes on what coud be improved and what was missing, and then finally - what I am thankful for- what needs to be recognized and encouraged, but also what the expectaions are for next time so that they can be most easily attacked. Progress reports are always appreciated

Relationships are an organic/outside organic process, and can not be quantified, measured, or strategified. Anyone who thinks that this is something that can be manipulated, is not engaged in a true relationship. Relationships are based on trust and sincerity. Someone who doesn't know how to be sincere will find it near impossible to "learn" how to be sincere and just because people trust you doesn't mean that you are trustworthy. A business relationship in the event industry is not just transactional. There has to be a buy in. The client needs to know that you are as committed to their mission as you are to the success of your organization. This level of commitment requires some sacrifice but the rewards far exceed the investment.

It's a multi-pronged process not one single thing can fix a broken relationship. It takes a lot of work to build back mutual respect. Do your best with the tools that you have in your toolbox and try to develop others to make sure you move forward and a positive direction with this client or with future clients.