So, it’s that time again – your software renewal is up. Firstly, there is horror as you work through the fact that another 12 months have gone by, secondly is the sinking feeling when you realise this may require another business case and thirdly, panic over where the budget will come from. Oh yes, we have all been there in Government haven’t we?
That is why we are taking a new approach to this at Granicus and trying to shift the reaction to one of excitement and confidence as we move forward with our client partnerships.
Well, it’s simple – we prefer marriage to dating (thanks @simoncooper for putting this in my mind!). Throughout a client’s life with us we work closely to really understand and progress their organisational goals and strategies and support them in realising true outcomes that support these. If we are not planning the next 12 months worth of campaigns with clients then how can they be excited about the possibilities at renewal and re-sell this vision to those all-important decision makers? Take a business case that clearly outlines the action plan as well as the previous achievements and that is half the battle. That being said, some of the best evidence from my experience isn’t in our metrics or reports, instead it has been hidden within customer feedback. This is why, pre-renewal we advise our clients to carry out a subscriber survey to get the metrics that really make a difference to your organisation.
This information can really make the difference as to whether or not divorce is on the cards. Having real client feedback to support the hard data based evidence goes a long way. Use the data collected to form a part of your renewal business case and get other services involved – ask for their opinion and why having an email service is so important to them and their clients/service users. Also, make sure all the services impacted by the feedback are made aware – customer service (channel shift and call avoidance question), council tax etc. The more people who understand what the difference is, the more support you will gain across the organisation.
Year on year Nottinghamshire County Council have surveyed their subscribers with some fantastic results. Experience has shown us that the response rates to these surveys are incredibly high so what is stopping you?
If you need any help with this or want to talk to us about your 12 month plan then please do get in touch. We have a client base of over 160 government organisations and this is growing every month so if we haven’t already made contact with you please be patient, we can assure you we will be in touch soon!
Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse
