What's the right ratio?
|
 |
By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business Published: Tuesday, 14 October 08 - 04:33 PM (GMT +12:00) Last Updated: Tuesday, 14 October 08 - 04:41 PM (GMT +12:00) |
| ||
The projects my confederates and I work on are all about solving business owners problems. This is challenging, rewarding work with real results.
Unfortunately I'm in this interesting situation where, in order to secure a contract, we practically have to solve the problem in our proposals. Because the client isn't completely convinced that we know what their problem is until we've articulated it and described the methodology we'll use to remedy is, plus some possible outcomes. Actually that's not true - it's not because they doubt our abilities, but because they don't know what their problem is until someone else begins to articulate it!!!!!
Which means if the client then goes away for a while, gets snowed under with other things, or gets distracted in the million ways that business owners can, we've put in DAYS of work for no return. OK so that's not true either, the return will be downstream because a happy customer is a happy customer, even if they haven't parted with any money. It's not about the money (repeat ten times).
One day (soon) our track record will be so deep, wide and impressive that we will be able to incorporate the problem solving proposal into the contract itself - because honestly that process is so valuable and inclusive that it really is a service too.
In the meantime (next few weeks!) grateful for your reassurance that its normal, and what exactly a good ratio of hours to propose versus value of contract might be! 
Have your say on this article:
<-- Back
