The Ultimate Guide to Customer Engagement in Tech

Back in 2020, during an internal dotnet tech standup, an impromptu Q&A session was conducted where Vijay More, a principal software engineer, raised several thought-provoking questions about customer engagement & software delivery. The Managing Director of ifm engineering, Mangal Kakade(Bharate), provided insightful answers to these questions, sharing her experiences and expertise in customer engagement. This article is based on that Q&A session, focusing on key points discussed by Mangal Kakade on how to effectively engage with customers and lead like a champion.

I see a lot of value in this discussion, and thus converting it into this article. By focusing on certain points here, one can ensure that the interactions with customers are productive, efficient, and mutually beneficial.

How to find out what's required?

One of the key factors in providing exceptional customer service is understanding what your customers want. Here are a few tips to help you figure out what's required:

1. Know Project Objectives: Start by understanding the project objectives. ASK QUESTIONS and keep asking questions, listen to what the customer is saying, and get a clear picture of what they want to achieve. No Assumptions, please!
2. Know Customer Well: Get to know your customers. Understand their needs, preferences, and challenges and MOODS.
3. Avoid losing focus: Don't get sidetracked by minor details or technical jargon. Stay focused on the main objective and ensure that you are meeting the customer's requirements. Minor details are important as long it is contributing in the right way to either your knowledge or the main objective. Rest is feel good.
4. Understand that customers might also not know: Sometimes, customers may not know exactly what they want or how to articulate it. Be patient, ask questions, and work with the customer to find a solution. Cross Cultural awareness also helps here.
5. Work along with the customers: Work alongside your customers to find solutions that meet their needs. Collaborate and share ideas to achieve success. Do not ALWAYS expect ALL the answers from the customers. Find the answers yourself first then if needed together with them.
6. Help the customer to help yourself: Help your customers understand your role in the project and how you can help them achieve their goals.
7. Don't Override customers: Avoid overruling the customer's ideas or opinions. Instead, work with them to find a solution that meets their needs. Technical solutions should be argued upon.
8. Be compassionate with customers: Be empathetic and compassionate when working with customers. Put yourself in their shoes and understand their point of view.
9. Trust, Transparency & Proactive collaboration: Establish trust, maintain transparency, and foster a proactive collaboration with your customers. If point no. 9 is established well with time, rest all becomes a piece of cake.

How to avoid wasting customer time?

Time is a precious commodity, and nobody likes to waste it. Here are some tips to help you avoid wasting your customer's time:

1. Be prepared: Make sure you are well-prepared for any meetings or discussions with the customer. Do your research, gather data, and have a clear understanding of the topic. Just don’t show up, show up with Data and results.
2. Set agenda: Set an agenda for meetings and stick to it. This will help you stay on track and avoid wasting time.
3. Do brainstorming: Brainstorm with your team or colleagues to come up with innovative ideas that can save time and improve efficiency. Do this before the meeting with the Customer so that in the meeting next level of brainstorming happens.
4. NOT Prepared = RUDE: Being unprepared is rude and disrespectful to your customers. Make sure you show up ready to work and provide value.
5. Never waste their time with your unplanning: Avoid wasting your customer's time with your unplanned actions. Ensure that you have a clear plan of action.
6. Be On Time: Always arrive on time for meetings or appointments. This shows respect for your customer's time.
7. Conclude on Time: Conclude meetings on time to avoid dragging on unnecessarily.
8. Asking for permission if extending a meeting: If you need to extend a meeting, ask for permission first. This shows respect for your customer's schedules.
9. Avoid Impressing: Avoid impressing them with Jargons, if you know speak up if not, keep quiet or express accordingly.

How do we know, we know enough?

It's essential to have a good understanding of the topic or issue at hand to provide exceptional customer service. Here are some tips to help you know enough:

1. At any point in time, think that what is important to know now. Focus on what's important and relevant to the task at hand.
2. Know what you need to know and what you don't need to know now! Be clear about what information you need to know and what can wait.
3. Don't try to be a KNOW-IT-ALL Person: There is no such Person in existence so do not even try.?Avoid trying to be an expert in everything, it takes away energy. Be humble and open to learning. Put your energy on Things that need your attention not people’s attention. Efforts one puts into “Knowing it ALL” takes away creativity & productivity and hence no results.

How to communicate technical issues/blockers to customers?

As a technical expert, you might come across issues that are difficult to solve or take longer than expected. It's important to communicate these blockers with your customers in a clear and transparent way. Here are some tips on how to do it effectively:

1. Ensure that you have checked all the possibilities: Before communicating the issue to the customer, make sure that you have explored all possible solutions and exhausted all available resources.
2. Share all the base work that you did while trying: Be transparent with your customers about the work that you have done so far. This will help them understand the complexity of the problem and appreciate your efforts.
3. Use a pictorial form to help them visualize: Sometimes, technical issues can be difficult to explain in words. In such cases, using a diagram or flowchart can help customers understand the issue more clearly. Avoid long discussions to explain the issue, instead use the pictorial form or failed results.
4. Be ready for questions and critical information: Customers might have questions or require additional information to understand the issue better. Be ready to provide them with the required details.
5. If you need more time, be honest about it: Sometimes, technical issues can take longer than expected to resolve. If you need more time, communicate this to the customer in a timely and honest manner.
6. Communicate issue(s) timely and not on the deadline: It's important to communicate issues in a timely manner so that the customer can plan accordingly. Do not tell the customer on the delivery date, that Delivery cannot happen. This needs good planning. Waiting until the last minute can cause unnecessary stress and can negatively impact the collaboration.

How much do metrics and work-tracking tools help in asking for extra time?

Metrics and work-tracking tools can be helpful in managing projects and keeping track of progress. However, they might not always be the best way to ask for extra time. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Tools might not be helpful in the short-term but in the long-term: Metrics and tools might not be helpful in the short-term as they can sometimes be time-consuming to set up and maintain. However, they can be beneficial in the long term as they help you keep track of progress and identify areas for improvement.
2. Trust does not need any metric: Trust is built on relationships and communication. It's important to build trust with your customers by being transparent, honest, and delivering on your commitments.
3. Trust can be built using a metric: Metrics and tools can help build trust over a period by providing customers with visibility into the progress of the project and demonstrating your commitment to delivering quality work.
4. Use data to build trust over time: Metrics and data can be used to build trust over time by demonstrating the impact of your work and the progress that has been made. Use data to tell a story and show the value of your work to the customer, not to escape.

How to gauge customer expectations about delivery?

Understanding customer expectations is crucial to delivering a successful project. Here are some tips on how to gauge customer expectations about delivery:

1. Work with customers for aligned objectives: Work with your customers to align project objectives and timelines. This will help you understand their expectations and deliver a project that meets their needs.
2. Make a non-review person review your delivery sheet: Have someone who is not involved in the project review your delivery sheet to ensure that it is clear and concise. This will help you identify any gaps or areas for improvement.
3. Mention the customer expectations and your expectations in the delivery sheet: Clearly communicate the customer's expectations and your expectations in the delivery sheet. This will help ensure that both parties are on the same page and can avoid any misunderstandings.
4. Always make notes. Get expectations written: Make sure to take notes during meetings and conversations with customers. This will help you remember their expectations and deliver a project that meets their needs.

How to get great feedback if we have done it right?

When it comes to getting great feedback, the key is to show your work in the right way. If you've done something well, don't be afraid to show it off, but be sure to do so in a way that is appropriate and respectful. Don't bother too much about customer feedback, but instead focus on doing your best work and providing value to your customers. Ultimately, if you consistently deliver high-quality work and build a strong relationship with your customers, positive feedback is given.

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In conclusion, when working with customers in a technical capacity, it's important to keep in mind the importance of proactive collaboration, clear communication, and transparency. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can build strong relationships with your customers, deliver high-quality work, and achieve success in your technical endeavors.

If you are a visual learner, here is a quick summary for you:

Thanks for reading this till the end ?? Do share your favorite takeaways in the comments.

Until next time, Bye!