The other night my husband and I tried a new restaurant for dinner. The entire experience was great. The place is cozy, the holiday décor was charming, the food was delicious and the service was some of the best we’ve had. What really stuck with us, however, is how the experienced ended.
Because we got a late start on dinner, we were one of just two couples left near closing time. This happens to us often given our schedule and 99% of the time when our server approaches to clear our plates he or she brings a bill or asks if we’re ready for a bill. This evening as the waiter gathered our (clean!) plates instead of asking about the bill, he asked us if we wanted another drink.
He was clearly an experienced waiter and knew that two working stiffs at 9 p.m. on a Monday weren’t likely to have another, especially as the place was clearing out, but he asked anyway. That small act struck me. Instead of feeling like a burden, or feeling rushed, we were made to feel welcomed, like we could have had two more and he would have happily served us. It was a such a great way to end an already positive experience.
The interaction got me thinking how our team ends interactions with customers. We focus so much in business and branding about conversation starters, but when is the last time we paid any attention to how we close each interaction? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten in my car after a client interaction worried I’ve said something idiotic as I made small talk walking out the door.
In addition to not looking like a fool, ending a client interaction — especially a formal meeting — properly ensures that the work put in during the interaction doesn’t go to waste. As we find ourselves in the season of many holiday networking events, year-end recap meetings and new year planning meetings I went looking for advice.
A Harvard Business Review (HBR) article on the topic said that proper closure of a meeting “is more often than not the missing link between meetings and impact.” That article defines closure as ensuring the group has “alignment, clarity on next steps, and awareness for the value created.”
Here are some tips from that same article on how to achieve closure, ensuring you wrap up each interaction with a bow this holiday season and beyond.
Check for completion: Before a meeting wraps simply ask the group is everything each member wanted to cover was covered.
Check for alignment: Ensure everyone in the meeting is OK with where discussion topics ended up, and if not, find a solution. From the HBR article, “If someone can’t live with the decisions being made in the meeting, or the potential outcome of those decisions, you need to ask that person what it would take to get him or her on board.”
Agree on next steps: This is the second best tip in my opinion, as this is where the real impact begins. From the article, “Progress depends on clearly stating what you will do by when and asking others to do the same. To maintain the momentum of any project, nail down specific commitments and deadlines, and then follow up often.”
Reflect on the value of what you accomplished: This step acknowledges the work accomplished in the meeting.
End with a compliment: This tip came from View Newspaper Group Publisher Wes Smith when I shared the topic of this week’s column with him. I believe this is the best tip for wrapping up any interaction. The HBR article had a similar piece of advice, but I like Smith’s take better. He said ending with a compliment is great, but only if the compliment is sincere and specific. Instead of saying to a client, “I enjoy working with you,” say “I enjoy working with you, because you always hit our deadlines.”
Keep in mind, while the above is great advice for those of us who work in an office setting, I still believe the ultimate way to end any interaction is by offering your customer another drink or better yet dessert.
How do you wrap up client interactions? Email me at ecaswell@mihomepaper.com to share your best tips. Happy Holidays!
Emily Caswell is the Brand Manager for VIEW Group, the branding division of View Newspaper Group.