The Art of Building Meaningful Customer Relationships

It’s a bit like life in general—coincidences and gut feelings when opportunities arise can develop into something interesting and exciting. I was approached by a former colleague who was a project manager at my client company, asking if I would consider coming over to help him with information and process analyses. It was supposed to be a short assignment of about three months, but I’ve had the privilege of staying for almost four years now. The initial assignment expanded quite quickly, and I have managed a variety of activities during my time at the company. These have included both shorter project-related tasks, but I have also had the opportunity to take on business-oriented roles such as process owner and system administrator. Today, I feel deeply involved in their operations. On a personal level, I feel included and have gained new colleagues and probably lifelong friends.

I live by the so-called Golden Rule, which means: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.”

I believe it’s very much about trusting one’s own abilities and letting go of control—overcoming the fear of making mistakes or giving without a guarantee of receiving something in return. Fundamentally, it’s also about understanding the customer’s perspective and conditions, which influence their decisions and actions.

Throughout my professional career, I have invested energy in understanding and learning about the businesses I engage with—what drives the customer and what history exists. What explicit and implicit rules apply? What ambitions does the management have, and how does that align with the rest of the organization? I believe this is essential to becoming a natural part of a customer’s business and, in turn, gaining increased responsibility.

There is one particularly special moment that almost moved me emotionally. I was invited to a strategy meeting regarding managing external resources moving forward in my role as process owner. At the beginning of the meeting, I asked whether it was “appropriate” for me, as an external consultant, to have insight into future strategies. The response warmed an old man’s heart: “You are one of us… this, of course, does not apply to you.” What can one say to that…

For me, it largely comes down to the privilege of having worked with many of Sweden’s major electricity companies. This experience means that, both from a purely technical perspective and in relation to the processes and corporate values I have encountered over the years, I have built up a palette of experiences and solutions. I use these to engage in dialogue with customers. You describe how you perceive their needs, provide examples of how similar businesses have addressed comparable challenges, and from there, you can find a solution tailored to the client’s specific conditions. I believe in “Best Practices” and “Lessons Learned.”

1. Learn how the customer operates—what their driving forces and challenges are, what is important to them, and, not least, what values they wish to uphold.
2. Share the experience you have gained from other assignments without revealing confidential details about other clients or their operations.
3. Be accessible and positive.
4. Build trust both within the business and at the management level of the customer—this will create ripple effects.
5. Providing feedback when given a question or task is fundamental and always appreciated by the customer.
6. Pick the low-hanging fruit—this means that if you see opportunities for simplification or efficiency improvements, even if it’s not strictly within your responsibility, don’t hesitate to offer some tips and tricks—it’s always appreciated.
7. Realize that change does not mean deterioration but rather an opportunity for development.