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

Alex Beston alex.beston at gmail.com
Mon Aug 6 08:24:25 CDT 2007


Martin

Me: Where did you find out about this stuff?

Matt:  [...] on CRM projects

ok. on the right foot now - a-ha ... the real world, not the WWW.
suits n stuff, closed doors, cars, insurance, indemnities, lawyers,
the white collar world, the list is endless. I really ought to join in
one day. where should I start?

/rhetorical

> 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.

I think I tend to learn from (sad I know) prescriptions, templates,
rules of thumb and try to apply when the situation arises; otherwise
without anyone actually giving a damn I more or less deliberately fall
into time honoured traps just to see where they are; not something
everyone would try; bit silly I think, in hindsight.

> http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?GMProduct=00100035801
> http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/default.aspx?Filter=PMIPublications

ok, will try them out. not until all of this sinks in, ofcourse!

[..]  the basics of any good sales process  [..]

> 1) Good relationship with key stakeholders - particularly the one whose budget you'll be spending

+1

> 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

+1

> 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?

+1 totally. Ive turned down one recently because it would, as you say,
would just feel like I would get screwed and *another* that I've left
to them since just the tone of voice at the outset instantly suggested
we were dealing with a "we need a lot for a little" type outfit. IT
WOULD APPEAR that the wait I have currently have been treated to is of
the "we are waiting for better offers but if we cant get better then
we will have to go with yours"-type-wait.

> 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?
>

ok i guess, sure. tired now.

[5)] check assumptions!

ok. *****, thats alot of work for £500. Thats what I usually think in
terms of to get someone on the WWW with a quality presence. I will say
I what I think "quality" is at another hour.

Anway, Im not sure if my attention span would allow for the £500-
£5000 range of project. oh hum.

/damn_I_wish_I_didnt_have_A.D.D.

Thanks for the all the advice Martin

A.



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