We know that general business activities revolve around the needs of customers, but the needs of our father are often not so clear at the beginning, and there are often many changes in the future. This puts us in a reactive situation, with the needs of customers changing frequently, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and error-prone. How do we deal with it?
If the customer has clear requirements for the product or service, and those requirements are reasonable and achievable, then meeting the customer's needs is crucial. This helps build customer trust, increases customer satisfaction, and may lead to long-term business relationships. But when customers make unrealistic requests, or their needs may not align with the core values of your product or service, as a professional, you may need to communicate with customers and explain the problems or limitations that their needs may cause. You can provide sound alternatives or recommendations that meet your client's core needs and ensure that they get the best possible results.
So should the customer's needs be fully listened to? I have three thoughts on this:
Before the project starts, take the initiative to throw the customer a list of requirements, and list everything you can think of and do. This was told to us by a senior IPD expert from Huawei when the company was working in a large factory, and I was very impressed. At that time, my first reaction was, isn't this asking for trouble for myself? Maybe the needs of customers are very small, but you have more than that. In fact, no, we all know that we have done development, no matter how much we need at the beginning, if it is clear, especially if we have done it, it is also very easy to implement, and the most afraid is the subsequent changes or additions, which can easily affect a certain link in front of it, and may bury hidden dangers.
Even if there is a demand list, customers still have their own ideas to change, what should I do? Of course, it is to agree as much as possible If the customer's words are of course, if you can do it, you must definitely agree, but you must agree conditionally. For example, informing the project may be delayed because of this, or it may have a certain impact on which part of the previous link, or other factors such as cost increases can also be. Anyway, in a word, there must be conditional compromises, otherwise customers will change it at will, causing a great burden on themselves.
The needs of customers are not completely listened to, and some bottom lines still have to be kept. For example, if there is an internal review here that it really shouldn't be changed, find a good reason to negotiate and refuse, and refusal requires skill, which requires years of accumulation. However, blindly obeying the customer unconditionally will only be dragged down, and it may not only lose the order, but even the company will collapse in the long run, such examples abound.
In conclusion, when working with a client, it is important to listen to and respect the client's needs and try to achieve them. But as a professional, you also need to use your expertise and judgment to ensure the best possible solution for your customers. This is a little bit of my insight, and I hope it can be helpful to everyone.