How not to screw it up on the project

It can be a great expert in his field, but failing a project by project. It can be chartered manager, and still failing the project after project. Even the enormous talent will not help you if you can not manage. We will look at common problems in the field of project management and try to find solutions.

Problem: Customer requirements are formulated vaguely and constantly changing.

Solutions "to return" his words to the client, "The gun is always loaded."

Accept the fact that the client often does not know what he wants, and certainly not able to bring this contractor. And in the middle of the project, he finally understands what he needs, and this will clearly not what you originally said. There is nothing to worry about.

Start with the client to establish a mutual understanding. Treat him as a capricious woman: do not listen to his words, hear his problem and pain.

Description of the problem, which he will send to you, retell in your own words, and return to him in writing with the question "What are we here misunderstood? "- often alone rereading their own tasks in the retelling makes you think about it in a new way.

Treat the client's reaction to the interim results under the microscope. Clueless Contractors in response to the client are always looking for signs that the client is pleased with them. Look for signs that he is displeased with you:

• If the client several times casually pointed to some part of the project that you think unprincipled - means for the customer is important.
• If the client said, "In general, okay, but something that should be corrected" - means a lot more work, and the customer is not satisfied. Do not relax.
• like "Okay" word is translated as "This is bad, but the time is not correct." Act accordingly. A month later, the project is delayed because of the fact that the customer is dissatisfied with this trifle.

This principle is called: "The gun is always loaded." It is better to show a healthy share of paranoia during the project and to ask again ten times, than to ignore the warning signs of, and to run into them at the end.

Problem: The client retains approval.

The solution: find out the reason to react.

When a client you have something to orders, he is interested in the result. If he delays the assertion in his value system that something is wrong. There can be several, and they need to be identified at the meeting:

• The client does not understand that it moves the project deadlines and budget inflates when delaying approval. He has in mind can be understanding like "They are under contract are obliged to supply to the first number. Nothing podnapryagutsya and will do everything. " If you delay the contract by the customer are paid in addition - was reminded of this client and smoke bamboo, you get paid for it. If not paid - are to blame, get ready to bend.

  By the way, in order to clearly understand how much time is spent on the project and how much simpler - use the opportunity Megaplan to record working time. Indicates something to spent time - and Megaplan he thinks all at the end of the project.



• Agreed at the client side a person is too busy. This, of course, is not an excuse, but it happens sometimes. Let's say you're doing a site for a marketing director who leads in parallel three big campaign. Ask him a human being, if he really do burn your project. If he can not find time on it, maybe it does not make sense to rush him to do? Can your company help in more urgent tasks?
• On the client side too many people involved in the agreement. Together, they can not make the decision, arguing with each other and abut horns. Do not communicate with them. Remember that the client always has some one who is responsible for the success of the project. Find that person and talk to him about the consequences of missed deadlines. You do not force the Board to work faster. And your marketing director - maybe understand if personal interest in a rapid agreement.
• The client switch teams, and old people with whom you worked, left, and the new - not to you. This happens. Call the director as the last bastion of the company's interests and remind them why they were originally addressed to you. Perhaps your company's project is no longer needed. Or change the marketing department does not mean that companies do not need to sell more. Then let the director himself kindles new people.

All of these tips combines the principle of "Customer World": remember that the customer asked for help to you. Help him remember it. And be prepared to help him in any situation, even if this aid - shut down the project or put it on pause. Do what is useful and necessary for your client.

IN Megaplane there is a great way to put projects on pause - stop them write and remove their deadlines. They quietly upolzut from the horizon. Then find them easier than ever - in the smart search. Return deadline and the project again in the horizon of attention.

Problem: The client does not like what you've done.

The solution: find out the true cause.

Until now we have assumed that all of you are well, and the project delay - client quirks. But what if the customer issues specific to your work, and because the project is delayed these issues?

This happens for several reasons. Sometimes you do not really understand the customer. Make sure that you understand not only the technical aspect of the problem, but also the objectives of the project for the client. Why do they give priority to one or another aspect? What do they want from the completed project? How the project fits into their overall strategy?

If you think a client categories, it is easier to understand at once his arraignment. Maybe the customer is not so important button color or its size - maybe he is afraid that it will not click in the right quantity. Make the button you will click.

Another situation - the customer believes that the better you know how to. You do not agree with him, because his decision is clearly doing a project worse. Loyal customers of its proposal in the light of his own problems:

- Alexis, if I understand you correctly? Do you want to put on the home page a large photograph of a fluffy kitten, which would shine with all colors of the rainbow?
- Right.
- Alexis, if I understand correctly, that the task of your website - to create an image of your company as a reliable supplier of metal in Novy Urengoy?
- Of course.
- Alexis, as we would tie a fluffy kitten and metal?
- Well, so he sat on a roll of steel, they say, we have such a safety standard that even the kitten will not be affected.
- And let's just write and understand about safety standards ???

Only questions (and does not dispute) you will be able to understand what the client wants from you, and that he basically need. And only when you really understand what you need, you will be able to sensibly assess dissatisfaction and customer suggestions.

Problem: Completed projects too time-consuming to support.

Solution: accounting, negotiation and money.

Sometimes you give the crude product. There's nothing you can not advise: to finish. Load the more time for review and testing. You yourself well know: the normal contractors crude product does not pass.

If you passed a good finished product, and the client begins to ask to do there is something new - it's not so much a problem as an opportunity for new business.

The client asks you to finish, not because you want to cheat. He has appeared or to formulate some new task. Work with her and with the client's problem, not your personal problem, you is not profitable to do work for free.

"Solomin, we have understood the problem correctly? You want to track the success of your advertising on your site by using the A / B testing. You want to change your own blocks campaigns to quickly make a decision on their effectiveness... "

"To this end, we propose to do the following:"
"This can be done in 3 weeks at the following course of action:"

"What we found is wrong with this problem? If you are satisfied with our offer, let us discuss the value of these works and the start date. "

If the client in response to this says, he wants it for free - a polite refusal:

"Solomin, you may have the impression that these activities are included in our first project on which you have already paid. However, this is a new challenge, which we have not discussed at the meeting and are not accounted for in the specification. We understand that this task is important to your business. However, unfortunately, we can not solve it in the framework of the previous project. "

If a customer wants to deceive you and get on with your work free - there is no sense to build a long term relationship with them. Drag it to the court.

If he came to you with a problem - does not rest and do not poke his nose in the wrong composed TK. First, offer a solution, and then name the price. If your price is not satisfied - disperse, as ships at sea. But as a customer you have worked, it is likely you will choose. That's a new business.

Of this nice to do a separate business - support for existing customers for money. In Megaplane organize such work is easy: creating a task "customer support so and so" add to it with his hand and client stakeholders and correspond with them as much as necessary. Ibid, and accounts and transactions, and commercial offers. All in one place - both for you and for your customers.

Megaplan

This, incidentally, is the eighth and final post Megaplan advertising. It was great to write for you, readers Layfhakera!

We hope that our knowledge and experience will be useful. Because, even if you do not use the Megaplan (which is strange, but you can understand), then work-it is still needed, and projects need to close and be effective also needed. We have done MegaplanThat it helped you with this.

Personally, you and your closest friends, we are ready to give Megaplan forever. use it is free in the company of up to seven people (at the same time - no more than three).

Do not miss and be successful!

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