| imes the most profound “new” | | | | about 80% of the time. During that time the |
| marketing strategies strike you at first as not new at | | | | homeowner starts to question whether the |
| all. “Hey, I knew that already” | | | | contractor knows what he’s doing. After the |
| doesn’t disqualify something from dramatically | | | | homeowner arrives at that conclusion or level of |
| changing your business. | | | | discomfort, they notice every little imperfection. |
| Enter setting expectations. Or more accurately, | | | | Solution: Let me tell you how you’re going to |
| setting the right expectations. Or even more | | | | feel throughout some of the project. Your back yard |
| accurately, NOT not setting expectations. As a small | | | | is going to look completely torn up for a long time. |
| business marketing consultant I pay a lot of attention | | | | You’ll be thinking hey, they’re |
| to this stuff! | | | | supposed to be done is three days and it looks like |
| Problem: When you install an enterprise software | | | | World War Three out there. Don’t worry. |
| system, the vendor must convert all the user | | | | Everything comes together during the last few days |
| company’s data to conform to the new | | | | of the project. I know it’s hard to imagine, |
| system. This is normally cumbersome and takes lots | | | | but that’s just the way these projects work. |
| of fine-tuning to get right. Meanwhile, the | | | | My experience is that most companies don’t |
| decision-makers at the user company start thinking, | | | | set too high an expectation going into new customer |
| “Wait a second, this new expensive software | | | | relationships, it’s that they don’t set |
| can’t even handle the data our crappy | | | | any expectations. |
| current software handles just fine. What are we | | | | Problem: When a new patient comes into an |
| getting ourselves into.” And eveything about | | | | Oncology practice (after they’ve been |
| the installation after that seems to go a bit rockier. | | | | diagnosed with cancer) the first two contacts they |
| Why? Everything is seen through | | | | have are with a scheduler (appointment setting, |
| what-are-we-getting-ourselves-into eyes. | | | | forms to fill out, medical information to bring) and a |
| Solution: Let me tell you about one part of the | | | | financial counselor (insurance, reimbursement). |
| installation process that can be frustrating. Data | | | | Patients can start to feel like the practice is more |
| conversion takes a lot of fine-tuning. In fact, you | | | | interested in getting paid than curing them. This can |
| may wonder at times why the new software | | | | lead to the patient questioning their quality of care |
| can’t handle data your old system handles | | | | when they experience the little bumps that are part |
| just fine. Don’t worry. This is a natural part of | | | | of any healthcare process. |
| every installation and nothing to worry about. | | | | Solution: All of us in the practice are here to help you |
| Setting the right or more realistic expectations can | | | | beat your cancer. As you come into the practice, |
| improve the customer experience even though what | | | | you’ll find there will be a lot of paperwork to |
| actually happens to the customer doesn’t | | | | get past at first. That’s just part of the |
| necessarily change. You’ve experienced this. | | | | system so please bare with us. We like to get all that |
| You “get off on the wrong foot” with | | | | handled up front so you and your care team can |
| a vendor or customer and then notice every time | | | | focus on one thing, your healing. |
| there is a small glitch in the relationship. And the | | | | Without an attempt by the practice to set |
| glitches reinforce your growing concern about their | | | | expectations, the cancer patient is left on his or her |
| reliability. Your frame of reference: the customer or | | | | own to make sense out of what happens. |
| vendor is unreliable. You “get off on the right | | | | Look at the customer experience through the |
| foot” and those same small glitches | | | | customers’ eyes. There are typically small |
| don’t reinforce anything. Your frame of | | | | “interventions” you can make early in |
| reference: they can be trusted and a little glitch here | | | | the relationship that can help set realistic |
| or there doesn’t matter. | | | | expectations. Realistic expectations foster comfort |
| I don’t mean setting high expectations. | | | | and a comfortable prospect or customer is a much |
| Problem: When a landscaping contractor remodels | | | | happier prospect or customer. |
| your back yard, the place looks awful (all torn up) for | | | | |