4 minute read 20 Oct 2021

3 tips to build and maintain trustful business relationships in a hybrid way of working.

How to foster client relationships post-COVID-19: from challenge to opportunity

Authors
Anne Moreau

EY Belgium Consulting Executive Director

Really passionate in steering International Company's complex transformation or strategical changes.

Celine Rossavik

EY Belgium Consulting Manager

On a mission to create empowered teams and deliver remarkable technology projects.

4 minute read 20 Oct 2021

3 tips to build and maintain trustful business relationships in a hybrid way of working.

Building a relationship and trust with clients has always tended to have a physical character. Creating a connection with a client is dominated by a human factor. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed this paradigm by forcing people to communicate in a remote way. Does that automatically mean that building a good relationship with your existing or new clients is impossible? Not at all. 

EY Survey

47%

of participants believe it will be easier to build and maintain client relationships in a hybrid working model.

We conducted a survey with 100+ EY Belgium senior executives about the impact of COVID-19 on project management, client relationships and our new way of working in general. When being asked about the difficulty of building and maintaining client relationships in a hybrid working model, no less than 47% found that this will become easier after the pandemic. Some of our participants have indicated it is easier to be closer to your clients via virtual meetings because they can be easily planned and enable more frequent connect moments.

Building (virtual) trust

Thus, opinions on client relationships are divided. Although almost half of the respondents believe working virtually will have no negative impact on our client relationship, still there’s the other 50% who’s not so convinced. They believe it is hard to build trust without much physical connection, and much more difficult to prove to your client they have your undivided attention. What can we learn from this conflict to leverage this post-covid situation and turn this threat into an opportunity? Here are some key tips.

Tip 1 - Humanize your company and be emphatic

One of the most important things in order to maintain and build relationship with your clients, is showing your empathy to them and humanizing the relationship. Indeed, to build trust, companies should communicate more meaningfully than ever before with emotional intelligence, care and honesty. The focus on humanization becomes more important for remote communications. While we were used to a conversation to be human and physical automatically, now we need to take the time to make sure this remains, so we don’t lose this emotional connection.

To do so, try to engage people in the moment by asking everyone to put their camera on and also by starting the meeting with genuinely asking how people are doing before going to the agenda of the meeting. In this way, you will make people feel you care about them and that it is not just another “transaction” call.

Tip 2 - Tailor your communication method to the occasion

Client relationships are strengthened through interactions. Interactions have always been there via phone and in-person discussions. However, with COVID-19, physical meetings were replaced with virtual calls and mails. But it does not mean that communication should be more complicated. On the contrary, it can be easier to speak to your clients as there is no travel involved and you can simply dial in the minute they have some free time.

Nevertheless, to be able to build trust with your client, don’t hesitate to use all the many existing channels, according to the situation. Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone or to have a chat discussion instead of having endless email conversations. Also, oblige yourself to meet your client in real life and take the time to discuss the subject if it is more complicated or sensitive and requires more attention.

Tip 3 - Communicate frequently

To ensure that your client continues to value the relationship you have built together, it is important to communicate with them frequently and proactively, even virtually. It is important not to wait for the client to need you and instead to show your presence, without overwhelming them.

To do this, there is nothing like establishing routines together with your client. For example, a short weekly or bi-weekly call to measure the current situation and have the latest status in order to propose the best and most appropriate services/responses, a longer meeting every few weeks to see the progress made, etc. It is important to be proactive, because it demonstrates dedication in the relationship and in the client’s interests. This proactivity is closely linked to transparency: being transparent on any change that could impact your client or your quality is also a must-have to build trust between each other.

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Summary

Building and maintaining trustful relationships with your clients does not have to become harder in this post-pandemic age. It is however not always easy to create trust between two parties without having a structured entity in place. Clear communication between all stakeholders in every large project is key to build trust and credibility. A TMO (transformation management office) ensures that all different communication lines are defined and used, for the right stakeholders and with a clear governance. Building trust and a good foundation in a virtual relationship is not impossible. Moreover, there are even more possibilities and opportunities to chase if you’re open to it.

About this article

Authors
Anne Moreau

EY Belgium Consulting Executive Director

Really passionate in steering International Company's complex transformation or strategical changes.

Celine Rossavik

EY Belgium Consulting Manager

On a mission to create empowered teams and deliver remarkable technology projects.