What is an effective way win over a potential client? Saving Changes...
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John ZacharProduct Dev Manager| Association for Project Management (APM)Brackley,, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
When you talk about a client, is this a client in a commercial sense, or is it a client that must accept the products you build as a part of your project?
If is the former, good luck, because that is about sales. If it is the latter, displaying confidence in what you do, and how you do it must be the starting place. Saving Changes...
Hi Claudia. If this is indeed a new sale, then treat it just like a sale, not an "IT project". In other words - what's the customer's PAIN? Why are they loking for a new solution? How is it integrated to the corporate objectives? Then display how your products and/or services can meet that need. Saving Changes...
Seems to me, Claudia, that the primary concern is whether the client is the key stakeholder of the project. If so, then satisfying them by staying on scope, providing constant and accurate progress information, and always, always playing above board with them will win them over. All the Sales bells and whistles aren't worth a hoot if you provide the client a product that doesn't meet their needs; and frankly, Sales doesn't care about that at all. Help the client define what success looks like to them! Saving Changes...
It all matters how well you can percieve the person. Not always, the 'best solution' will be a good solution. Try to judge client's vision and use your analysis to catch his/her trust. Saving Changes...
Strictly from the Project Management perspective, I percieve the POTENTIAL client to be someone who can be impressed upon to share his project kitty. This is akin to Project Mining that project managers sometimes do to meet the corporate business objectives.
In order to influence such an individual or group of individuals, it is important that the client is part of the existing project process as a stakeholder or an outside observer. His/Her involvement in the existing project(s) processes is necessary to generate a degree of confidence.
If the potential client is not recognized as a stakeholder in the current Project Process, then the challenge is to include such person by identifying the areas of his/her contribution and interest.
It is most important for the potential client to have a first hand knowledge of your continuous good work and results. Such involvement alone can help you win over the POTENTIAL client. Saving Changes...
