As a business relationship manager (BRM), your role is to understand your clients' needs, expectations, and goals, and to align them with your organization's capabilities and value proposition. But how can you ensure that you are meeting your clients' needs effectively and consistently? Here are some tips to help you succeed as a BRM.
Communication is the key to building trust, rapport, and collaboration with your clients. You should communicate regularly and proactively with your clients, not only to update them on the status of projects and initiatives, but also to solicit feedback, identify issues, and explore opportunities. You should also communicate clearly and transparently about your organization's vision, strategy, and value proposition, and how they align with your clients' needs and goals. By communicating regularly and proactively, you can avoid misunderstandings, manage expectations, and demonstrate your commitment and responsiveness.
When you are having a wonderful product/service, but not able to pass on the message to the needy masses or to convert their desires into needs, we are back to square one. Communication is the key for efficiency and effectiveness for your business objective. Dynamic two way communication will improve the aligning of our objectives with the customers and the outcome of the same will make a responsible and competitive institution out of our organization.
This is truly the first. Even when you’re not able to meet their deadlines or expectations, communicate with them all the way. Customers do understand most of the time. What makes them really dissatisfied is if you’re being elusive when things go wrong and are consistently falling short. Otherwise, they stick around when you keep in touch.
BRMs excel at a simple yet powerful mantra. Talk often, talk early. It's not just about answering needs, it's about having a conversation that pre-empts them. Picture it like sending a friendly wave before your friend even calls. BRMs don't just keep up, they stay ahead by making communication a proactive dance, ensuring they're in tune with client needs even before the music starts.
IMHO, the R in BRM is what defines all. By this I mean that, just like a (friend/significant oher) relationship one has, (business/personal) *R*elationship will flourish/evolve/grow when the basis for frank and open communications are established. And establishing that foundation is at times hard, other times not. In short, I equate communication in the context of BRM as that one would have in personal relationships. What//with what purpose/when/how/in what way to communicate is essential as well (that is the *M* in BRM).
One thing of crucial importance is to listen to your clients carefully and make sure you really understand their needs at the very beginning.
To meet your clients' needs, you need to understand their context and challenges. You should conduct regular assessments and reviews of your clients' business environment, objectives, pain points, and priorities. You should also research their industry, competitors, trends, and best practices. By understanding your clients' context and challenges, you can provide relevant and tailored solutions, insights, and recommendations that add value and solve problems.
This is key to me. One must understand the context in which the client works, its plans, fears, opportunities, weaknesses and strengths. Only then can a BRM support in the creation of plan that involves technology addressing the challenges faced by the client.
In my experience, meeting my client's needs goes beyond a checklist, it's an ongoing dialogue. I find myself anticipating their unspoken requirements, crafting solutions before they even articulate them. It's about being a step ahead, navigating the twists and turns of their business landscape.
Just like personal relationships, one of the pillars in BRM is to get to know the other party. In this case, what is the other party's reality? What is good/bad/ugly in that reality? Is it a reality one can add value/is interested in (or not)? This is also a two-way street! The client also needs to know where are you coming from. Being open and honest about it (our intentions) creates the room needed for any (meaningful) conversation which could, eventually, create the basis for a (meaningful) business relation.
Business Relationship Managers (BRMs) can ensure they meet their client needs by following these steps: 1. Understand Client Needs: Regular communication and relationship-building help gain insights into client needs. 3. Maintain Open Communication: Regular check-ins and status meetings help ensure alignment and satisfaction. 4. Trust and Credibility: BRMs should build trust and credibility with clients by delivering on promises, demonstrating expertise, and consistently delivering high-quality results. 5. Resolve Issues : BRMs should act as advocates for their clients within the organization to ensure timely resolution of problems. 6. Monitor Performance: Establish KPIs to measure the success of client engagements.
As a BRM, you are not just a service provider or a vendor, but a strategic partner and a co-creator of value and innovation with your clients. You should involve your clients in the design and delivery of solutions, products, and services, and leverage their feedback, ideas, and expertise. You should also foster a culture of innovation and experimentation, and encourage your clients to explore new possibilities and opportunities. By co-creating value and innovation with your clients, you can enhance their satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.
I believe that co-creating value and innovation with clients is one of the most empowering ways to collaborate. Engaging them in every phase, fostering innovation, and transforming ideas into real outcomes isn't just about delivering services—it's about building strong partnerships. This approach not only boosts satisfaction and loyalty but also empowers clients by making them an integral part of the solution. #Innovation #Empowerment #collaboration
Value and innovation co-creation are, IMHO, by products of a strong (business) relationship. If the relationship itself creates the room (by being properly managed, open and honest two-way communication) these drivers will be discussed, agreed, and brought to life (market).
As a BRM, you are responsible for ensuring that your organization's resources and capabilities are aligned with your clients' needs and expectations. You should assess your organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and identify any gaps or risks that may affect your ability to meet your clients' needs. You should also coordinate and collaborate with other functions and teams within your organization, and leverage their skills, knowledge, and tools. By aligning your resources and capabilities with your clients' needs, you can optimize your performance, efficiency, and quality.
As a BRM, you should measure and improve your outcomes and impact on your clients' business results and value perception. You should define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that reflect your clients' needs and goals, and that demonstrate your organization's value proposition and differentiation. You should also collect and analyze data and feedback from your clients, and use them to evaluate your effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and implement action plans. By measuring and improving your outcomes and impact, you can demonstrate your value and credibility, and justify your investment.
As a BRM, you may face high demands and expectations from your clients, as well as from your organization. You may also have to deal with multiple and complex projects, stakeholders, and issues. To meet your clients' needs, you need to balance your work-life and your clients' demands. You should prioritize and manage your tasks and time, and set realistic and clear boundaries and expectations. You should also take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health, and seek support and guidance when needed. By balancing your work-life and your clients' demands, you can avoid burnout, stress, and fatigue, and maintain your motivation and productivity.
Do you communicate with your friends and family via emails most of time? You don’t, so minimise use of emails. Can you fix everyone’s problems with a best outcome? You can’t, but you will try the best you can. You will go out of your way to help if someone trust you and respect you. What matters the most is NOT the outcome, it’s how much you cared and how hard you tried. You consume people’s time when you have an agenda and reaching out to someone. On the other hand, people will consume your time when reaching out to you for help. So, it’s two way traffic, value other people’s time so as yours.