[Geproyinfo] Keep the Client Satisfied

[ACIS]

Hola:

Les anexo un artículo publicado recientemente en la página Web
www.gantthead.com. Espero que sea de su agrado e interés ya que a veces no
es fácil lograr mantener a un cliente satisfecho.

Saludos,

Martha Juliana

Keep the Client Satisfied
Tom L. Barnett, PMP 
March 17, 2008 

As project management practitioners, we are not only in the business of
achieving results with limited resources (sometimes very limited), we are
also selling a service. Project management is not yet as mandatory of a
service as a C.P.A., for example, but I believe that the day is not far off.
Until project management is finally recognized as the necessity that it is,
you should be looking for ways to make your profession--and
yourself--indispensable to your clients, whether they are inside or outside
your company. 
 
>From time to time, it pays to step back from the minutiae of the daily
management details to think of the client's needs in general. The best way
to do that is to remember that we are consultants first, project managers
second.
 
What are the primary consulting skills to focus on? How do you go about
increasing your consulting skills? Let's start with the most essential. 

Communication, Communication, Communication
Any consultant, sales person, account manager or project manager is a
communicator first and everything else is secondary. The best consulting
skill you can ever develop is to become a proficient communicator. There a
few aspects to communication that you need to be aware of: 
Listening: Communication is a two-way street, therefore it is critical that
you become an active listener as well. Much value will come from actively
and attentively listening to your client. This is the greatest piece of
advice anyone can give to get a consulting advantage early. There are so
many clues and hints that a client provides that are simply missed if you
are thinking about the next fact or story you want to interject into the
conversation. 
Speaking: It is critical that you have a large developed vocabulary to allow
you to seamlessly slide between various members of the client team. Some
will want the formal jargon and proper legal-like speak that they expect
from a consultant. Others may simply respond better to a casual tone that
doesn't attempt to talk over them. Build a deeper vocabulary that will give
you better tools with which to reach that person (or audience of clients).
The more options you have at your disposable, the better you will connect
with that client.

Frame of Reference: For speaking and listening to truly be effective, you
will need to get a sense of the client's frame of reference. Frame of
reference is the background or experiential knowledge of your client. The
same message can be interpreted two different ways by two different clients
simply because the frame of reference of each was dissimilar. Getting a
sense for where your client is coming from will go a long way in the
communication experience.
Add Value
This is primarily what consultants are brought in to do. You need to be
adding value to your client's project. That can come in the form of simply
having experience in the project's field. The client perceives value because
you have knowledge that the client doesn't. As project managers, that first
area should be in how to accomplish a goal by decomposing work, defining it,
assigning it and ensuring it gets done. 
 
Beyond that, however, you should familiarize yourself with trends in your
client's field. Read trade journals from their particular industry. This
required a little more effort 10 years ago, but with the proliferation of
the internet today there is simply no excuse. What regulatory changes are
set to impact the utility industry? What are the primary challenges for
healthcare in the next two years? What are the latest trends in the finance
industry? You should be aware of what they are and where to find out more
information about them. The expected level of involvement is that you have
more than a passing interest in your clients business.
 
Who defines what "value" is? You need to ask your client. They may not place
the same value on a certain aspect of the relationship as you do. You need
to determine what value is to your client. Are you adding value for your
customer? Or are you just an administrator of details? 
 
Ask Your Client the Critical (sometimes painful) Question 
Mark H. McCormack, founder and former CEO of International Management Group,
was fond of asking what he considers to be the most important question you
can ever ask a client in a consulting relationship: "What would it take for
you to look somewhere else?" The real secret, as McCormack puts it, is the
client that tells you what it would take to go somewhere else is also
telling you what it would take to keep them. Sometimes that's tough to hear,
but heard early enough gives you time to correct and make sure that you are
meeting the expectations of that particular client. 
 
You may think you are doing a fantastic job for your client, but your
definition and the client's definition need to be the same or your client
will not place as much value on the relationship as you do.
 
By framing this question as a step removed from the current relationship, it
is sometimes easier to talk about. A client may not want to criticize you to
your face, but would love to tell you what they would like from someone
else. 
 
Buddy Rich, one of the most prolific and talented drummers in history,
always held his audience in the highest regard. He was known for sometimes
being very tough on his band members because he never wanted to disappoint a
single person who paid money to hear him play. One of his often repeated
sayings showed this dedication to his fans and became the title of a 1970
album: "Keep the Customer Satisfied."
 
Take this approach to consulting and you will be constantly tuning,
continually learning and forever growing your skills as you keep your client
satisfied.