[thelist] client works sheets - good or bad or just homogeneity?

[Martin Burns]

On 6 Aug 2007, at 03:33, Matt Warden wrote:

> On 8/5/07, Alex Beston <alex.beston at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Sure. Where did you find out about this stuff? Did you do contract  
>> law
>> or do you just know it in your bones & so know where to start
>> searching?
>
> Martin has a lot of experience consulting on CRM projects with one of
> the bigger consulting companies. I think it's one of those things you
> either have experience with or you don't; although I guess
> theoretically you could read up on complex sales processes or
> something. I think it would be difficult to fit all the pieces
> together without actually being involved in the process, though.

While there's no teacher like experience, and true, our sales
processes do tend to be at the complex end of the scale, the
principles are pretty much the same wherever.

And you *can* learn them from study - here's one place you
could start:
http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx? 
GMProduct=00100035801

and more here:
http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/default.aspx?Filter=PMIPublications

But I can tell you - the basics of any good sales process that lead  
into a
successful project have to include:
1) Good relationship with key stakeholders - particularly the one whose
    budget you'll be spending

2) Good value for the client - ultimately something that supports their
    business needs. So you have to *know* what those needs are, and
    ideally the strategy/direction behind them

3) Good value for the vendor - nobody wins if either party is being  
screwed.
    Note that this doesn't just mean money (although I've had to ask  
myself
    the "Are we actually *going* to get paid for this?" before), but  
also is
    it reputation-enhancing? Will it develop the individual(s) who  
are doing
    the work?

4) Is it realistic? Are you going to be able to deliver on not only  
the specifics
    but also the business needs using the expected method within the
    time/cost/quality boundaries that the client is expecting? Is the  
scope
    defined? Or if not, is it agreed that it's not and a method for  
working
    with that agreed?

Oh, and always, always, *always* check assumptions!

Cheers
Martin

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