“The client workshops have been a real success.”
Director of Global Strategic Marketing
How to improve client relationships
The Director of Global Strategic Marketing in a large multinational company asked me if I could help them enhance a number of information gathering workshops during their annual corporate customer meeting? They told me that the intent of this day of the meeting is to:
- Provide customers with an overview of the product roadmaps and gain their feedback and input
- Explain the potential enhancements to products and gain a sense of customer priorities
The workshops are run by Product and Relationship Managers more used to presenting and gathering information in smaller meetings. When running workshops in previous years, they had found it difficult to obtain the quantity and quality of advice they need and involve and interest all of the customers. Consequently, they wanted guidance on how to design and facilitate the workshops.
To meet this need I ran a one day development workshop to highlight the importance of creating the right climate, show the value of a participative and interesting approach and develop facilitator confidence.
So
It was a very successful workshop and I thought it would be useful to share the learning with fellow Gorillas should you need to run multiple client (or staff) workshops.
Due to space limitations I have limited this article to key points. If you would like to read the full case study with full learning points, please click here and download “Obtain Better Advice From Clients” from the articles page.
Create the Right Climate
If you are running a workshop that lasts one hour you have limited time to build climate but you must do something. In view of the time constraint I advised the participants to:
- Create the physical climate in the room. Have natural light and fresh air when possible. Have chairs only or small round tables. Put inspiring quotes on the wall and play music
- Explain the purpose and outcomes expected of the workshop verbally and in writing on a chart, to ensure clarity
- Have participants work in pairs and run a brief exercise to create a positive mood
- Provide attendees with a list of participant names and company / job titles and ask them to say hello to each other during exercises
- Ask participants to write their hope for the workshop on a Post It note
- Explain a few behavioural guidelines for the workshop (e.g. do not take calls in the room) and ask for agreement
Have a Participative and Interesting approach
You must involve and interest people and be very efficient in your use of their time:
- Keep your introduction time down. Use up to three short slides or prepare slides attendees can read and ask you questions about
- Avoid whole group discussion; only a few people will have time to talk and people will get bored and disinterested
- Break the group in to small teams to answer each question you ask
- Vary the size of the small teams for each exercise or question answered
- Mix the teams after each question
- For each exercise, give every person a written brief that explains the purpose, the input (the question), what they must do and the time allowed (the process) and a template of the output needed
- Alter the process for each question (e.g. make the output different, use flipcharts, use paper, use checklists, have them vote, stand up, sit down etc.)
Develop Facilitator Confidence
To build confidence you need to overcome concerns. To elicit these concerns I ran an “ad lib” session in the development workshop and asked each person in the group to put their three key concerns on Post It Notes. The concerns, typical of many new facilitators, are listed below. The first questions I have answered already:
- How to get people to participate in the workshop?
- How to grab their attention from the start?
- How to make sure they understand the workshop subject / goal?
- How to address the right message?
- How to get feedback on the topic?
- Further questions were:
- How to summarise at the end?
I suggest you summarise after each question unless it is easier at the end. Alternatively, have the customers summarise (I have listed some creative ways to do this in the full length article. Click here to download “Obtain Better Advice From Clients” from the articles page.)
How to validate / invalidate mutual assumptions?
If assumptions are important, prepare your assumptions about the topic in advance and share these. Ask the group if they consider your assumptions to be correct and if they would add any.
What if I don’t meet audience expectations?
The audience expects that you will respect their time and you will keep them interested. If you use the tips in this document, you will achieve both.
How to move to another topic smartly if this topic looks irrelevant?
If a topic is not gaining interest, close it down as quickly as possible. Ask the group to vote if they think it worth continuing or if they would prefer to move to another topic. Empower them by giving choice.
How to avoid embarrassing questions from the audience?
Most embarrassing questions arise when people are not sure why they are in the session or what they have to do. Follow the previous tips I have given on clear outcomes and exercise briefs.
How to move the audience in the direction you wish?
This point concerns the difference between a manipulator and a facilitator. As an observer, I would question the purpose of running a fact-finding session if you are seeking to manipulate the answer. Instead, present your solution and don’t seek feedback. Manipulation is easy to observe and creates cynicism quickly.
Small Action
How might you adapt these tips for individual client meetings?
To Close
Using the above tips, you should be able to run workshops that really involve your clients and respect their input and time. After the client meeting the Director fed back:
“The client workshops have been a real success. The team has done an amazing job. All customers found the new format very valuable and are now requesting a proper follow-up on the work that has been done. I think that customers appreciated a lot being involved in designing the future of our solutions. Thank you again for the great training you ran that enabled such an achievement.”
Would you like to be able to say that about your next client meeting?
John Brooker I Yes! And. Think Innovatively.
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