Dinner instead of a call: Mawave CEO Jason Modemann relies on customer events to build real relationships. His three most important learnings.
Jason Modemann, CEO and founder of the Mawave agency, uses regular customer events to deepen relationships. What makes the difference for him between a nice evening and a really valuable exchange.
At some point I started regularly spending time with customers outside of the traditional business setting. For us these are now fixed dinners or even a brunch – usually once a month. Sometimes classic in a restaurant, sometimes with a little twist – cooking together, rolling sushi or with a DJ.
For me it’s about creating a space in which people meet each other differently. You can often learn more about a customer in a get-together that lasts several hours than in ten calls. The dynamic is simply completely different: you speak more openly, you understand better what makes the person tick. And this is often exactly where conversations arise that have no place in everyday working life between two appointments.
However, there is a big difference between “going out for a nice meal” and a customer event that really sticks.
These are the three most important things that I pay attention to when organizing and implementing:
1. The round
The biggest lever for a successful event is who sits at the table together. We pay attention to how we put the group together. Above all, it’s important that the people match each other in terms of level. So either decision-makers among themselves or those who work operationally on projects.
If that’s not true, things quickly become difficult thematically. Then some people talk about strategy and visions and others can do little with it – or vice versa.
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2. The setting
We always choose the location very consciously based on what suits our guests. So the target group, the city and also the occasion of the evening – sometimes a little more chic, sometimes more urban and relaxed. In my opinion there is no general right or wrong. It is crucial that the surroundings match the goal of the meeting.
What we tend to avoid, for example, is a classic buffet. Someone is constantly getting up, getting something to eat, coming back – it gets restless and conversations stop again and again. A seated setting or a flying buffet usually works much better for us because it creates more peace and real conversation dynamics.
That’s why we always think about how we actually want to conduct the evening beforehand: Should it be more of a deep exchange in a small group or a somewhat more dynamic evening with several islands of conversation? Things like volume, table size, seating arrangement and the entire choice of location depend on this.
In the end, it’s neither about the best food nor the greatest location, but about creating a framework in which good conversations are possible.
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3. The preparation
A customer event should never feel like a sales appointment. As soon as a guest has the feeling that they are being “processed”, the mood changes. For me it is crucial that it feels like a real exchange on equal terms.
That’s why I never go into a meeting like this completely unprepared. I think about it beforehand: What are the topics that our guests are currently dealing with? Are there things I want to understand better?
Of course, there is no ready-made agenda. Because despite everything, it should be a relaxed get-together and not a business appointment. That also means listening, asking questions, reacting spontaneously. The best events are the ones where you can tell the conversation is evolving and not pre-planned.
Of course, such monthly events involve effort and investment. However, for me it is also one of the most effective ways to really deepen relationships.
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Jason Modemann is the founder and managing director of the social media agency Mawave Marketing. At 27, he manages 150 employees. Mawave’s customers include Red Bull, Nike and Lidl. He is also the author of the book “Always hungry, never greedy.”
