Currently, I am tasked to work on 14
projects within a PMO environment within my client´s organisation. And it reminds me again that there are a few
things which are vital for any consultant – be structured, prepare your
meetings, and work on your tasks efficiently and effectively.
Client Meetings or “How to feed your Monster”
- What do you want to get out of the meeting?
- What information do you want to give him?
- What decisions do you want to be made?
- In case you need a decision, what options do you give him from which he can make a decision (do not come empty, always give him options to choose from!)?
- How do you respond to any of his potential objections?
The use of “we” and “us”
First of all, whenever a consultant speaks he should speak
in “pluralis majestatis” – the “we”. “We have created..., we have achieved...,
we have worked on..., we have managed...!” It should emphasise that consultants
work as a team and we do things together. Ramobs are no consultants!Client Meetings or “How to feed your Monster”
Whenever you meet your client you need to “feed him”; this
is mainly with information and to help him with decisions he has to make. Apart
from the odd morning tour where a simple “How are you?” suffices, usually one
should never go empty handed or without any reason to the client. Never!
So, before seeing him, prepare your meetings:- What do you want to get out of the meeting?
- What information do you want to give him?
- What decisions do you want to be made?
- In case you need a decision, what options do you give him from which he can make a decision (do not come empty, always give him options to choose from!)?
- How do you respond to any of his potential objections?
Once the meeting has started, shut up and listen, listen, listen.
Oh yes, and listen! You should not talk, the client should. Always listen to
what he says. Successful consultants have good listening skills. Do not talk
too much, do not always repeat what you said, and do not fall into the trap to try and
educate your client. If he wants coaching he will say so. Otherwise, treat
him with respect and the way you want to be treated. Look at your client´s body
language and read it. You will see when he gets bored, impatient, relaxed,
excited, agitated, etc, and manage it. Never forget, opposite you is your monster and
you need to feed it. Your client is your tamagochi. You are in control.
When you attend a client meeting with a colleague the golden
rule is – if you talk your colleague shuts up, and when your colleague talks you
shut up. Give feedback afterwards, but do not correct your colleague during a
meeting (unless he makes the worst ever blunder!) and always act as a team.
When the consultant asks a question to the client the other consultant should
not answer! Often, questions are of a sheer tactical nature. Oh yes, and do no forget the pluralis majestatis even if you alone did something.
When the meeting comes to an end, summarise! Tell the client
what decisions have been made during the meeting and which actions are coming
out of it. After the meeting, either do those actions straight away or write
them down on an action plan and work on them systematically.
And that is it! Sounds simple, is sometimes not so simple,
but it is the only way forward!
