This is the digital version of the printed book (Copyright © 1994).
People have expectations. Your clients, for example. Sometimes their expectations of you seem unreasonable. But sometimes your expectations of them seem just as unreasonable (in their eyes).
The problem is that these mismatched expectations can lead to misunderstandings, frayed nerves, and ruffled feathers. More seriously, they often lead to flawed systems, failed projects, and a drain on resources.
Managing Expectations shows how to identify expectations and suggests ways to gain more control of them. In today's turbulent business world, understanding and meeting your customers' expectations is indeed a challenge, and it's not hard to understand why: Expectations affect a range of interactions, including service responsiveness, service capability, product functionality, and project success.
Expectations are difficult to control and impossible to turn off. However, by learning to identify and influence what your customers expect, you can dramatically improve the quality, impact, and effectiveness of your services.
Contents include sections on communication skills, information gathering, policies and practices, building win-win relationships, as well as a concluding chapter on how to formulate an action plan.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Expectations
Guard Against Conflicting Messages
Use Jargon with Care
Identify Communication Preferences
Listen Persuasively
Help Customers Describe Their Needs
Become an Information-Gathering Skeptic
Understand Your Customers' Context
Try the Solution On for Size
Clarify Perceptions
Set Uncertainty-Managing Service Standards
When Appropriate, Just Say Whoa
Build Win-Win Relationships
Formulate an Action Plan
Table of Contents:
Foreword xvii
Preface xix
Introduction: The Expectations Challenge 1
SECTION 1: COMMUNICATION 9
Chapter 1: Guard Against Conflicting Messages 11
Communicating Conflict 12
Circumventing The Conflict 22
Notes 22
Chapter 2: Use Jargon With Care 23
Miscommunicating With Technical Terms 24
Miscommunicating With Familiar Language 27
Misinterpreting Customers' Language 36
Jargon-Checking Kept In Perspective 37
Chapter 3: Identify Communication Preferences 38
Communicating Status Information 39
Communicating Ideas 42
Accommodating Differences In Preferences 44
Gaining Consensus And Achieving Buy-In 46
Learning From Preferences 48
Notes 49
Chapter 4: Listen Persuasively 50
Appearing Not To Listen 51
Demonstrating Listening 53
Listening Actively 56
Helping Customers To Listen 58
Speaking The Way You Listen 59
Observing Cultural Differences 60
Learning To Listen 61
Notes 61
Section 2: Information Gathering 63
Chapter 5: Help Customers Describe Their Needs 65
Analysis With Focal Points 66
Techniques For Describing Needs 68
Types Of Focal Points 70
Pitfalls Of Focal Points 72
Thinking With Focal Points 73
Notes 75
Chapter 6: Become An Information-Gathering Skeptic 77
Learn From A Model Skeptic 78
Clarify Service Requests 78
Challenge Your Assumptions 79
Allow For Inaccuracy 82
Pose Strategic Questions 84
Learn To Think Like A Skeptic 87
Notes 88
Chapter 7: Understand Your Customers' Context 89
Categorize The Context 89
Case Study: Peak Workload 93
Focus On The Customer 97
Gather Information Regularly 102
Notes 103
Chapter 8: Try The Solution On For Size 104
Finding The Perfect Solution 104
Becoming Immersed In The Solution 106
Reflecting On A Job Completed 116
A Jacket Analysis 117
Notes 118
Section 3: Policies And Practices 119
Chapter 9: Clarify Customer Perceptions 121
Differing Perceptions 122
Performing For Satisfaction 123
Discussing Customer Perceptions 124
Gaining Feedback From Customers 127
Creating A Service Guide 132
Explaining Your Decisions 135
Involving Customers 136
Interpreting Complaints 138
Saunafaction Guaranteed 140
Notes 140
Chapter 10: Set Uncertainty-Managing
Service Standards 142
Standards For Communicating "When" 143
Categories Of Standard-Setting 146
Strategies For Standard-Setting 151
Standards For Services That Go Awry 154
Solutions Guaranteed
(Or Problems Returned) 157
Notes 157
Chapter 11: When Appropriate, Just Say Whoa 158
Saying Yes And Saying No 158
Saying Whoa 161
Putting Whoa Into Practice 165
Seeking No Help 173
Notes 174
Chapter 12: Build Win-Win Relationships 175
Customers As Allies 176
Techniques For Relationship Building 178
Relationship Pitfalls 186
All's Well That Mends Well 189
Notes 189
Conclusion: Formulate An Action Plan 190
Develop An Action Plan 191
Review The Three Central Issues 193
Create Your Strategy 195
Become An Expectations Manager 199
Start Anywhere 202
Notes 204
Related Reading 205
Index 209
About the Author :
NAOMI KARTEN is president of Karten Associates, based in Randolph, Massachusetts. Before forming her business in 1984, Naomi gained extensive experience in technical, customer support, and management positions. She has presented seminars and keynotes to more than 100,000 people internationally to help them deliver superior service, improve communication, strengthen teamwork, and build strong, trusting relationships. For eight years, she was also an instructor for the Weinberg and Weinberg workshop Problem Solving Leadership (PSL). Naomi is the author of several books and eBooks, including “Communication Gaps and How to Close Them” and “Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals.” Readers have described her newsletter, Perceptions & Realities (posted at www.nkarten.com/newslet.html), as lively, informative, and a breath of fresh air.
