There is no "Problem Customer" - How to learn Business Empathy and spur Collaborative Innovation ??

Hundreds of calls as a managed services professional in banking... countless hours in professional services project management... the one tip I have as a result?

It is not a financial negotiation you are in 24/7 - have empathy and try to understand your customer. Their problems are ultimately your solution and every contact moment is a chance to establish mutual trust, in a long-term relationship.

A few dozen projects as an IT Project Manager taught me about myself, ultimately: can I push aside the ego and focus on customer centricity? Can I make the leap from seeing the person on the other side of the corporate wall as purely a consumer of services and instead respect them as a fellow fully rounded individual? If you encounter difficult customers this is probably not the first set of thoughts you have. Your adrenalin and stress reaction to the negative feedback and demands - which are so common to customer facing roles in a fast moving and difficult business landscape - will lead to you becoming unnecessarily defensive and this drives conversations into that no-mans-land where neither side progresses. This stalemate happens especially in the absence of in person contact. We are social beings. Built to build bridges and listen. Our hearts have so much potential for understanding and our minds are the keenest sensory devices ever developed!

Here is the one way to preserve humanity on the both sides of the screen, consider the following:

1. Everyone is in the Sales business they say... I propose we are all in the Human business. Even one-person companies rely on a social network to thrive and learn, you need to see everyone involved as a customer and the service on offer being simply your help.
2. Treat every moment with the client as a special part of your journey. Every recognition of the complexity of their needs and desires is a step towards understanding.
3. Understanding lays the groundwork for productive conversations, and this builds the bridges between diverse people and perspectives.
4. Trust takes time, but understanding each other shortens the time needed. Be candid and open, and they will reward you with more time and more honesty about what they expect from you as a service provider.
5. Every product and feature is material to the customer. They might need an alternative, they might prefer someone else, they might want a lot, the only thing I know for certain is that you are there to support both your and their team. Take the lead and make that connection, or someone else will!
6. Do no waste their time or effort. Do it yourself, be the initiator, keep proactive, plan constantly and provide all this as this is the absolute gold standard!
7. It is more than a logo, it is a message. When we talk to big firms we get blinded by the supposed quality and power that they convey, when really we need to open our eyes to the talent which lurks everywhere all the time. Learn their approach and show them we speak a common business language.
8. “Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity". Seneca once said this in the Roman era, if they knew it back before the digital era it must be pretty universal, adapt yourself to changing demands and embrace customer change requirements as a part of a roadmap to a better agreement or outcome. Then you will be very lucky.
9. The above ensures empathy and collaboration solves problems together, structure this and hone it so that it becomes business as usual and natural for you and the team!

Bring to the table your full self and do so consistently. It can always be helpful to stay positive and maintain an outlook which handles risk and opportunity in a balanced and consistent way so that the customer knows you are there and while nothing is perfect you are their supporter. You must be ready to stop seeing the other person as a problem, try to empathize and try to switch off that initial reaction where your natural guard and responsiveness to a threat leads you down the path where neither side progresses.

Natural progression for everybody is solving problems and innovating ideas by sharing in a customer experience. Be there for them and strike the perfect balance between their needs and your own, you will see this pays dividends when they start to think this way too!

If you agree let me know and give this message to your network too with a repost, let's be better at being part of the solution and let's agree: there are no problem-customers.

P.S. No AI used for this post, this is my personal candid take.