How we’re developing the Flexible Packaged Deal
From the weekly Success Insights series: Lessons from our Client Success Programs
Everyone has experienced the locked-in contract they regretted later. It’s inevitable: your needs change over time or you discover that what looked right on paper isn’t as useful or practical as you thought.
We’ve always made a point of being flexible with our clients and when we started our Client Success Programs, our attitude was the same. But we’re discovering that striking a balance between a predictable scope and client-focused flexibility can be really hard!
Over the last 6 months, we’ve learnt some pretty valuable lessons about this from our Client Success Programs.
1. The start is an experiment
The best negotiation and scope in the world won’t necessarily mean that everything is right straight away. Often, it takes actually experiencing a service to find out if it meets your needs, especially when it comes to complex strategy consultation! We’ve discovered that the first 1 – 3 months with a client is not all smooth sailing: lots of bumps are discovered, opportunities for improvement sighted and areas for re-negotiation mapped. We’re learning to not be afraid to discover we need to change something.
2. Revision is inevitable
Re-negotiation, dissatisfaction and changed minds are all part of the deal. Expect change and be ready to handle it! We’re learning that it’s important to build-in flexibility and regularly come back to the negotiating table to make sure we’re always ready to meeting our clients’ evolving needs.
3. A strong scope is vital
A specific, well-communicated and adhered-to scope is really important to make sure we stick to the important things and give all our clients the attention they deserve. This isn’t even to mention the obvious advantages for time & resource management and the bottom line! We’re learning that if we’re happy to re-negotiate the scope at any time, we can be confident in sticking to it.
But most importantly: a poorly communicated scope is no scope at all! Our most valuable lesson is always the reminder to be clear and honest, early and often.
Do you have any horror stories or total glowers about flexible or not-so-flexible packages you’ve experienced or offered?
