We recently sat across from a potential client during a pitch. The meeting was going well. We were getting ready to wrap up when they asked, “What’s the biggest thing you see going wrong in a project like ours?” After a moment of thought we replied, “Communication.”
Not budgets. Not timelines. Not technical skills. Communication.
In the world of B2B relationships, effective communication isn’t just good manners. Sure, it’s nice to be nice, and who doesn’t like a pleasant working relationship? But it’s more than that. It’s the backbone of a successful project and we believe the recipe for a long-standing client-supplier relationship.
Don’t believe us? Take a look at these stats we dug out.
- 68% of B2B customers have switched suppliers due to poor customer experience (source).
- 73% of customers cite customer experience as an important consideration when deciding whether to purchase from a company (source).
- 49% of customers left a brand to which they’d been loyal in the past 12 months due to poor customer experience (source).
- 80% of B2B buyers have switched suppliers due to misalignment with expectations (source).
Our experiences
We’ve been in business for over 20 years, so you better believe we’ve seen most things. We’ll be honest, there have been times when things have gone awry (we’re only human after all). But more often than not, we’re pleased to say things have worked out in the end. And guess what? We have some tremendously successful long-term client relationships to prove it.
So when analysing further, is there a particular moment when a client relationship can become more challenging?
Unaligned expectations
Henry Winkler (better known as The Fonz) is credited with saying “Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” Unclear expectations can emerge at any time in a project. If a level of refinement for a particular feature or certain functionality isn’t as first imagined by the client then we’re not going to get, “Ayyyy,” that’s cool. Clients can assume one thing, and suppliers deliver another.
Then there are mismatched expectations around feedback. A client, for example, may expect multiple revisions; a supplier, aware of the project budget, knows the time already spent on work and believes it’s time to move on. Agreeing on revision policies upfront avoids frustration later.
Avoid the jargon
Assuming a client understands industry-specific terms or project nuances without clarification can lead to misunderstandings and strained relationships.
Anyone can take something complex and make it sound even more confusing with jargon. We believe in doing the opposite; breaking down complex software solutions into clear, straightforward language, so our customers can make confident, informed decisions. Our goal is to demystify the process of custom software design and development.
When writing this post, I quickly Googled, ‘thoughts on jargon’. The first result was a LinkedIn post ‘Why you should do away with jargon‘ written 10 years ago by none other than Richard Branson.
“Some people love speaking in jargon, using fancy words and turning everything into acronyms. Personally, I find this simply slows things down, confuses people and causes them to lose interest.”
Couldn’t have put it better myself, Richard.
Lack of relationship-building
‘Active listening’ is a term developed by the famous psychologists Carl Rogers and Richard Farson. Put simply, it means to pay full attention to the speaker and to then reflect and thoughtfully respond to what is being said. Or to put it another way, we all have two ears and one mouth. If you’re interested, the Centre for Creative Leadership lists some tips and techniques here.
Active listening cannot be overstated. Screenwriter and film director, Charlie Kaufman once said, “Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.” In client interactions, we believe listening to feedback, concerns, and project vision, allows for tailored solutions and prevents miscommunication.
A final thought
So to sum up, to err is human and any relationship requires give and take on both sides. Client-supplier relationships are no exception to the rule.
It is our goal to continually improve every part of the business in 2025 and that includes communication. Our mission is to improve our practices every step of the way, from onboarding to getting your news and media website launched and beyond.
Fancy joining us on the journey?
Learn more about Standfirst Publish here.
