INCON University Session 6: Client satisfaction: At what cost? Saturday 23 February

Client satisfaction: At what cost? Knowing your client How do you maximise profit and keep a happy client? When to win and when to lose? Is it worth it to lose profit but ensure a satisfied client? How do you manage different personality types What techniques and tools are effective

Knowing your client Who are our clients? (congress activity) National congresses International congresses Annual events, regular for the PCO One-shot event, for the PCO, but could be regular for INCON network What is a strategic client? Which client is strategic, for what, and for whom? Are cheap fees worth for strategic clients ? Listen to your client Major misunderstandings come from incomplete briefing. Then the client expects a different service or more service. To present realistic specifications, do not forget any service and give the budget for all of them. Explain in detail all the services provided by your company. Most problems come from « I thought this was included in your assignment… » Listen to the first brief, listen during operation, you might be able to adjust before it is too late

How do you maximise profit and keep a happy client? To maximise profit: the good start is knowing your production cost. Calculation of the right fees: always include all missions. What do we sell ? Time, advice, technology … Time is probably one of the major point to control Are you in control of how much time is spent by all the colleagues working on the congress organisation ? We should never be ashamed of our hourly rate. In theory, the client can understand our rate because his own rate is often higher. « Everything that is calculated can be improved ». Marketing Relationship , loyalty : when fee rate does not make a difference any more. Behave as a Partner, a team VS a supplier. Provide the BEST service.

When to win and when to lose When to win and when to lose? (letting the client have their way, or is it jeopardising the end product?) Who takes the decision to lose, the client or the PCO ? The project manager should never forget that he works for the PCO During the long period of congress preparation, can we loose today and expect to win tomorrow ? Do we have to separate all services? : general management, registrations or abstracts handling, fundraising … Can we lose on one if we win on the other? Should we need to minimise profit if a regular client is essential for the company’s financial balance? Play win-win : being a part of the congress success. Extra sponsorship revenue can be charged at a higher rate Jeopardising the end product ? NEVER ! Never lose, always win together !

Is it worth it to lose profit but ensure a satisfied client? Why would a client be unsatisfied ? Did we provide a bad service ? Do we need to compensate for it? Did we misunderstand the client’s expectations, and did we propose too small fees in accordance with the basic service we estimated? Should we need to re-explain the missions and propose additional fees ? Is the client always unsatisfied and erratic ? Do we have to lose profit or educate the client ? No job is worth losing profit , NEVER ! Except when … How to ENSURE the client’s satisfaction ? There are many options to use before losing profit. A satisfied client is the best advertising & the best network for new clients. Are you ready to under-charge new fees for new clients ?

How do you manage different personality types ? How can you evaluate and understand the personality of your client ? Do you need to be alone for the first brief and first committee meetings? Can you adapt your management to each client or do you consider that he needs to fit in with your process? Can you apply standardisation to all client management ? How to manage difficult personalities? How to keep the client’s credibility ? How to manage the client’s bad faith ? How to install a nonviolent communication? How to move the client into a positive behaviour? How to come back to a constructive and wholesome/sound relationship?

What techniques and tools are effective ? Good cop/bad cop : Can this technique be effective in the long term ? Does it enhance the value of the junior coordinator ? Senior manager, yes but expensive : What is the role of a senior manager/senior coordinator ? Definitely not the day-to-day congress process, even for a major event. Accompany the junior PM in committee meetings to reassure the client. Interfere only when necessary & endorse the junior PM proposals. Increase congress benefit : When a client gets more profit and if he considers that it is only due to your initiatives, he can easily accept to « share » with the PCO. Put more efforts in the Fundraising dept. Put more efforts on promotion to get more delegates