Listen to What the Client Wants!

It is important to give the client what they want.  But to do that, you have to know what that is. And how do you find out what your clients want?

Well, you talk to them, and you listen.  This is such a simple, fundamental task, and you'd think that more people would do it. But they dont.

First, make sure you talk to the right people.  Your client is usually a combination of people who will have input in the project planning and decision-making.  Try to identify not only who will make the final decision but also who will have input into the final decision. Find out what roles they play. Unless you know who will participate in the decision, you can't develop a solution that meets all the clients needs.

Listen carefully to what each member of the client's community says and give them credit for knowing what they want.  Experts too often dont give their clients enough credit for knowing what they want. This is arrogant, and it shows. But read on.

Listen carefully for the underlying need.  As the perceived expert listen hard for what the problem really is.  The client may know what they want, but very often, they do not know what they may need.  For example, they may not fully understand that the solution they think they want will only serve as a Band-Aid for the current problem, and will not be a long-term solution.   Your job is to help them see this. This is your best chance to make sure the client is asking for the right solution from the beginning. If you wait until you read the RFP and say, They dont know what they really want, then you are often too late.

Dont offer a solution until you are sure you have heard everything.  Sometimes its tempting to leap into the fray and offer a solution. Sometimes it's hard to barely restrain ourselves.

But resist temptation.  Make sure you have all the information about the clients situation before you offer solutions. This may take time weeks or months even, but you will get the real story if time allows.  You wont go off on a tangent and develop a solution that you discover is addressing the wrong issues.

And above all, dont twist what you have heard the client wants into what you want to give them. It is very easy for perceived experts to listen to the client and begin plugging their needs into our pigeonholes. This is the quickest way to lose a potential project before you even write the proposal.

These elements are just common sense. But as the saying goes, if its common sense, how come it is not as common as you would think? How come firms make the same mistakes over and over again?  So, open your ears and improve your listening skills so you can work with current and potential clients to accomplish their true goals and objectives.