Many people say that you should put yourself in the client's place to get a better perspective on how to proceed. Actually, you must go beyond that. You must put yourself in the place of each and every client, not just any client in general. Why? Because every client's perception of success in terms of your project performance, level of detail, timeliness, deliverables, and autonomy is different.
Giving the buyer options is one way of catering to the client. Some clients consider an executive summary of an audit an acceptable deliverable, while others want every detail. Some have information technology staff on their payroll and can maintain a computer automation product that you provide, while others prefer to buy the maintenance contract and have nothing to do with customization or computer code.
Providing options gives you a more accurate picture of how the project will unfold, and you can plan accordingly. If a client is asking to meet a difficult deadline that will require you to shift considerable resources and perhaps disrupt the flow of work in your organization, you can provide an option in the budget for expedited service. If a client accepts, you'll be compensated for the extra effort and will have some advance notice that will allow you to schedule your staff appropriately. If the client declines, they're acknowledging that within reason, they will be patient with the project's progress.
If you break a proposal out by tasks, noting which are optional, you make the client a collaborative partner prior to the project, and that's where you want to be positioned. You're not compromising quality of your product or service. You're simply giving your clients what they want.
Burgers & Steak
For example, a restaurant will often offer everything from hamburger to a filet of the finest aged beef. While the filet has a higher profit margin than the hamburger, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take time to pick fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, served in a visually pleasing manner, to the hamburger client.
Even though you will generate greater revenue and profit from the client who orders the steak, the fact is you will probably have five hamburger sales for every steak sale. The hamburger client may even order a steak the next time he or she comes into the restaurant. That one client may also tell three friends about the restaurant, and those friends may be either hamburger or steak clients.
You never know where one client's business will lead. So serve burgers to the burger crowd, steak to the steak crowd, and value each and every client.
