Collaborating with Enterprise Customers: Navigating the Journey from Start to Success

Ever wondered why big customers decide to buy from smaller companies? It might seem surprising at first, but there are some solid reasons behind their choice. Let's walk through a story to understand this better and explore how you can ensure a successful partnership with enterprise customers.

Act One: The Exciting Beginning

Imagine you’re a small company, and a big enterprise customer decides to give you a shot. They say, "We’re choosing this specialist company because they’re focused, and they’ll get the job done faster, cheaper, and better. It’s just a smarter way to solve our problem."

You’re thrilled, right? You land the deal, and everything is looking up. The big customer trusts you to deliver because you have that unique expertise they need. So, you dive in, ready to impress.

Act Two: Things Get a Little Complicated

But then, as you start working together, things get a bit...weird. The big company, without meaning to, starts managing you like one of their internal teams. Suddenly, you’re getting all these feature requests, and you’re not entirely sure if they make sense. Sometimes, it seems like the big customer isn’t even sure what they want.

Your product direction starts to feel shaky. What happened to that clear, focused mission? Now, you’re just trying to keep up with their ever-changing demands.

Act Three: The Blame Game

Fast forward a bit, and the big customer comes back with complaints. "We don’t like this product anymore. You’ve added all these strange features." And you’re thinking, "But you asked for those features!"

It’s a sad and frustrating ending that happens more often than you’d think. So, how do we avoid this situation? Here are some tips to help you navigate these tricky waters.

Tips to Avoid the Common Pitfalls

1. Anchor to Problems, Not Solutions When a customer asks for something, always ask, "What problem will this solve?" This keeps everyone focused on the real issues rather than getting lost in unnecessary features.
   

2. Write Great User Stories User stories are your secret weapon. They help you understand and document what the customer truly needs. You don’t have to show these directly to the customer, but use them to guide your work.
   

3. Work in Small, Prioritized Batches Break down the work into smaller, manageable pieces. This makes it easier to adapt and maintain quality. Plus, big companies often jump from one massive software implementation to another, hoping for a miracle. Small batches help avoid these disasters.
   

4. Test Often and Appropriately Regular testing is crucial. Differentiate between usability and motivation. Hold webinars, interact with actual users, and make sure your product is meeting their needs.
   

5. Over-Invest in Training Good training does wonders. It ensures customers use your product correctly and understand its full potential. Guide them to approach tasks the way you designed them.
   

6. Over-Invest in Onboarding Early issues? Jump on them immediately. Address problems during onboarding to prevent them from becoming bigger headaches later.
   

7. Conduct Regular Retrospectives After each phase, reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Support is expensive, but neglecting it is even costlier. Smooth out those rough patches to improve continuously.
   

8. Design for Variation Recognize that different customers will have different needs. Your product should be flexible enough to adapt to these variations.
   

9. Be Clear and Honest with Negative Responses If you can’t fulfill a request, say no clearly and explain why. Offer alternatives. Transparency builds trust and helps manage expectations.

Focus on Outcomes and Outputs

To avoid falling into the product death cycle, always focus on outcomes and outputs. It’s not just about adding features; it’s about solving real problems and delivering value. Think beyond just ticking off feature requests and measure your progress by the impact you’re making.

Conclusion

By following these tips, you can transform potential pitfalls into successful collaborations. Keep the focus on solving problems, maintain clear communication, and remember that a little bit of strategy goes a long way. With the right approach, your partnerships with enterprise customers can thrive, leading to mutual success and growth.