Identification of client needs as a key component of professional communication and successful personal sales by a manager of an architectural and construction compamy

Abstract

The study is devoted to the topical issue of identifying client needs as an important component of professional communication and successful personal sales by a manager of an architectural and construction company. The article examines the current state of business communication in the business environment, in particular the role it plays in ensuring that organisations function effectively. It emphasises that in any field of activity, especially in the context of sales and customer relationship management, effective communication is a key success factor. The authors analyse in detail the personal selling process in architectural and construction services, highlighting its main stages: communicating and listening to the client, presenting the goods/services and building long-term relationships. Particular attention is paid to the importance of the identification stage of the client needs, which is key to ensuring an individual approach and the fulfilment of his or her expectations. It is noted that a high level of communication skills and the ability to listen carefully are required for effective identification of client needs. Customers may have different requirements, preferences and budgets, and it is only through a thorough study of their needs that an individual approach can be offered to each of them. Not only does this contribute to the successful completion of the transaction, but it also enables us to build long term partnerships with our clients. The use of ‘active listening’, which involves not only listening but also a thorough analysis of the client’s messages, attention to detail and non-verbal cues, is key to identifying the client needs. Active listening helps to build mutual understanding and trust by establishing emotional contact and feeling the client’s feelings and needs. Determining the reality and specificity of client needs is an important aspect of identifying them. In order to do this, the manager must conduct detailed interviews, listen carefully to the customer’s requests and pay attention to non-verbal signals. A better understanding of the client needs and the most appropriate solutions can be achieved through a qualitative synthesis of the information obtained. Successful identification of client needs requires a manager to constantly improve communication skills, including the ability to ask the right questions, create an atmosphere of trust, show empathy and be proactive in finding ways to meet needs. It is only under these conditions that successful sales, long-term relationships and the development of the company can be ensured. The article looks at the architectural and construction industry and provides practical examples of different approaches to identifying client needs. The authors emphasise that the key to successful sales, building long-term relationships and overall effective business performance is a manager’s ability to communicate effectively and to listen and understand the client. The article concludes with recommendations that may be useful to managers of architectural and construction firms to improve the efficiency of the process of identifying client needs. In particular, the article highlights the importance of continuous training, information analysis, proactivity and the provision of quality customer service.