The conference call made personal

Where possible, try to engage in face-to-face meetings, especially when you are expecting to meet key stakeholders for the first time. People are more comfortable doing business with someone they have met in person, than an anonymous voice on the phone.

However, globalisation of business has meant we can't always be in the same room. For many business transactions, we may never have the luxury of a face-to-face meeting. The expectation placed on an Agency to deliver is no different. Just because the Client is in conversing from another country, won't make expectation of the project less.

1. Establish who is in the room. Write down the name and rank of each participant, and picture them seated at a table. You will need to call their names during the meeting to get the right person's attention. Make sure all the parties are experiencing clear reception, and verify the length of time the call is expected to take.


2. Progress one point at a time. Go over each point carefully, and anticipate which parts of the discussion may need extra explanation. Send visual aids to all parties before the presentation to improve comprehension.


3. Shorter meeting times. Attention spans on conference calls are shorter compared to face to face. All parties are focusing solely on audio, which can get tiring, especially if the audio has poor reception. Conversely, in-person meetings are full of body language and eye contact, which provide a source of stimulus. Focus on the most important areas for discussion, and use email to solidify details after the call has ended.


4. Voice projection. Speak slowly, clearly and voice project. If this is your first meeting with the Client, they'll be listening to your cues in your voice which tell them your level of influence and seniority. If the Client can't hear properly, it is likely they will miss important information. Clients whose English is not their first language, will need extra attention.
   
5. Say less. Telephony has a lot of limitations. Although it can connect many people remotely, only one person can speak at a time. Allow longer pauses between speech than in a normal face-to-face meeting, to allow others opportunities to contribute.

Brave are those who face ‘difficult conversations’

Client service with foresight make small interventions each day, to prevent an issue escalating. These are small investments diffuse any issues, before it becomes an issue.

However, if either the Client or the Agency are what negotiation strategists call 'avoiders', it is unlikely either party is practicing diffusion. Having a genuine desire to maintain good relations, an avoider is not prepared to risk the relationship to table an issue. They are affraid of the emotional consequences of an arguement or conflict. So an avoider delays, procrastinates, and by not acting excacerbates the issue.

It is natural to want to avoid confrontation. After all, no one enjoys confrontation, especially with a Client.

Avoidance however is no cure. The ostrich that stuck its head in the ground never helped anyone. Every relationship, no matter how healthy and endearing, is likely to present challenges.

Planning a difficult conversation
Difficult conversations are fraught with danger. It is easy to get caught up in one's emotions, or to lose focus and miss the point all together. A great deal of skill and time is required to succeed.

Here a few measures client service should take to prepare for a difficult conversation.

1. Confirm you have an issue. Nothing is worse than client service forcing an issue which does not exist. If the Client is uninterested, it may be a sign they believe there is no issue. Even if there is an issue, there be another way to resolve it without the Agency's involvement.


2. Send your best people. No amount of preparation can conceal the fact client service are preparing to criticise the Client. This manoeuvre takes a lot of courage and experience. Sending a junior to hangout dirty laundry is not an option. Unless you plan to terminate the relationship, make sure the person you send is experienced and trusted by the Client.


3. Assess the risk. Map out scenarios, including a 'do nothing'. When risking a possible confrontation, think about what kind of positive return it will bring the Client and the Agency.
   
4. Invite the client to your office. Find a way to conduct the conversation face to face, instead of on email. Placing criticism on email is dangerous, as you cannot sense the Client's mood at the time they read it. It may also be interpreted as cowardly, and not worthy of consideration.


5. Maintain self-control. Before the meeting, write down your points, and refer to it during conversation. This way you stay focused, and are less likely to fall victim to your emotions. Anger, blame and sarcasm only reveal weakness of character, and will work against you.


6. Be sincere. If you value the relationship, this should flow naturally. The challenge is to maintain a polite, sincere and focused conversation, minimising long term damage to the relationship. If you have had to conduct a difficult conversation, you will know just how hard this is to accomplish.


7. Take indirect action. Make it known you are treating the matter seriously, by placing embargoes. These are indirect measures to begin limiting liability and demonstrating to the client that their money is not everything to you.

Presentations are a dialogue

It is remarkable how often client service deliver a presentation, without pausing once to allow the Client to make comment. They bolt from the moment they hear the starting gun, and don't stop talking right until the end.

By refusing the Client the right to interact, isolates the Client and slows down their cognitive responses. Soon they begin to fidget and become distracted, and cease listening.

A far better way to hold the attention of a Client is to engage in a dialogue. A dialogue is two-way communication, where parties learn simultaneously about the subject matter and each other.

Many find dialogue in a presentation unnatural, as they have scripted their presentation one-way. The presentation has been scripted as a soliloquy, where the spot light remains fixed on them.

It is no wonder client service are caught off guard when the Client interrupts them. They are so focused on their presentation, they can't hear or see what is happening around them.

This disconnection between the speaker and the audience produces no results, and wastes the time of the participants. A better approach is to have a dialogue.

While rehearsing, imagine your presentation is a conversation between friends. Deliberately script the presentation with pauses, and invite others to contribute opinions. Simulate what their contribution might be. Anticipate which areas of the presentation are likely to draw criticism, and plan an adequate response.

Here is an example of a client service person, scripting themselves for a dialogue. In this example the client service person is looking for opportunities to draw chatter from all parties present.

Example dialogue
Agency: Good morning Jon. Thank you for inviting us to present today. We have three concepts we will we showing you. One of them is very similar to what you briefed in. The other two however, are quite different. We have given your brief a lot of thought, and we feel the last two have merit.
Jon: Okay great.
Agency: This is our first concept. No surprises here. It is exactly what you asked for.
Jon: Yep. Perfect.
Agency: Jennifer, you haven't seen this concept before. What do you think?
Jennifer: It's good. You have listened to what we wanted.
Agency: Okay. Then let's move to the next concept. I'm going to let Jasmine talk through this concept as it was her idea…

This presentation is staged. It took place in someone's mind. Notice how the client service person was more than a presenter - they were also a mediator. A dialogue will make the presentation more productive and enjoyable for all the attendees.