At a wedding I attended recently, I observed a perfect example of failing to meet your client’s needs. I have seen this many times, but this time I found myself frustrated and irritated. It doesn’t matter if it is a band or a DJ; I have repeatedly seen this failure to service the client.
Specifically, in the case of a band or DJ, the objective is to entertain the guests and keep the party exciting and fun. That means keeping people on the dance floor. After all, they are hired for the music they provide.
I find it most frustrating to watch a music provider play what THEY want even when there is no one on the dance floor. It seems to me that they should be tuned into the fact that they are ineffective at achieving the object. Apparently, they don’t get it.
The problem of the empty dance floor (for which someone has paid good money) can be solved by noticing what type of music brings the guests out of their seats. For example, a slower dance often brings the older adults as couples like a slow dance. In fact, several in a row would keep them there for a while. After that, a series of fast ones to liven it up and get the young crowd going. When they wear out after four or five songs in a row, slow it down again and a different crowd will hit the floor.
But this rarely happens! One slow one, then an evening of loud fast ones seems to be the norm of the music vendors – even when the dance floor is void of dancers for hours! There are people wanting to dance – just not to what they are playing.
So how does this relate to business?
Pay attention to your audience:
- If the customer isn’t participating, perhaps you are not meeting their needs.
- Change what you are doing to change their reaction.
- Avoid the one size fits all syndrome – everyone is unique.
- Confirm their expectations – don’t assume you know.
- Ask for feedback – then take action to give beyond expectation service!
Remember you are working for them. Just showing off your talents without regard to the clients’ expectations and desired outcomes will not make you successful. Not only is the person or organization who hired you watching, so are all of those on the sidelines. They will judge the quality of your services by what they experience. If word-of-mouth advertising is the most effective, then you must pay attention to everyone’s reaction and satisfaction. You don’t know who will be sharing their experience with your service.
You can pass out a boxful of business cards and chat up everyone in the room, but if they don’t enjoy the experience with you, there will be no additional work there. Now is the time to provide the highest level of customer service possible. That means serving the customer’s needs – not yours! If you meet your client’s needs, your needs will also be met!
