We want every client engagement to be a success. We are well paid for our efforts and the net result (our value) to our client should be lower overhead, increased revenue, improved productivity, great user adoption, and a substantial return on investment.
So, its been an interesting week. Similar projects – one client loves us, the other. . . not so much.
Happy Client: engaged in frequent meetings, had management involvement to the director level, committed personnel engaged in the project. Regional managers helped design the training and attended every training session. The director of strategy was involved in most meetings and classes. Their team came to the table with ideas and suggestions, but were open to change if we could demonstrate a better approach. They worked with us to develop a support plan that fit their exact needs. Our committed customer invested in a solution.
Their feedback –
“The efforts you and your company put into making the project a success is greatly appreciated. Taking a proactive stance and challenging us to look beyond immediate needs to understand how ACT! could be a strategic tool was truly a value. By working with our managers, sales team members, and the IT staff, our ACT project is a resource for us to accurately understand what is happening in our market place.”
And Unhappy Client? Too busy to plan the project and would “deal with it later”. Key managers didn’t attend meetings or training and are struggling with requirements. The manager tasked to head the project doesn’t understand why they even need CRM. There is no response to requested feedback. This customer doesn’t have the solution they imagined or the results they expected. I don’t predict a good ROI for this project. Which makes us unhappy, too.
I’m not sure that “Unhappy” will do it differently next time. But I know we will. There is no gain in working with a customer who is not committed to their own success.