What the customer needs and how much he is willing to pay
This is my first article. I am sure that I described not the only effective algorithm. I would be grateful for the feedback, which will help to optimize it.
So, you have in the mail a letter from the customer. In the letter of the half-page of requirements and the request to give an assessment.
Let's immediately determine that the collective customer does not exist. Saying: “A project from Microsoft came to us,” in fact, we mean: “Gennady, who now works at Microsoft, sent a letter to us, about a project that someone may need at Microsoft.” So, us in the mail a letter from Gennady.
')
At this moment, please do not undertake anything that involves Gennady. No need to organize a meeting. No need to write a letter with questions. Our task is to reduce the number of actions on his part. Why - below.
Also, please do not opt ​​for the forehead. Almost always, Gennady's budget is limited. Almost always, the requirements are formulated with a margin and, having literally examined them, you will fly out of Gennady's expectations. At best, he will tell you about it, and you will find yourself doing everything that is described below. Only now you have spent the time to make a detailed outline. In the worst case, you will be considered too expensive, and will choose someone else.
You need to figure out the range of the cost of the project. Evaluation will be inaccurate. The range is very wide. This is normal. The only requirement is that the final score should fall within this range.
Give yourself an estimate of exactly one hour. Realize that it doesn't matter how wide the range is. Even if you simply take the cheapest project in your memory as the bottom border, and the most expensive as the top, it will be, albeit with a stretch, enough.
Formulate up to five questions to Gennady, having received answers to which, you will maximally narrow the range of assessment for the allotted hour. And now come up with your own answers so that the assessment is minimal - this is the lower limit of the range. Now imagine that the customer wants everything in the world - you got the upper limit.
If there is a chance to answer any question without the help of Gennady, be sure to do it. The time to search for an answer to such questions is not included in the time allocated for evaluation. Compliance with this simple rule at all stages of the project is one of the key conditions of mutual love with Gennady.
If you can come up with an answer to any question that you think Gennady could give, think up an answer that simplifies your work, and consider this answer as a response to Gennady.
For example, you need to develop an Android application. Should it work on tablets? Let's decide for Gennady what should not, and we will add this decision to the list of assumptions. If you work well, it may turn out that you will not have a single question to Gennady, just a list of assumptions.
Why are assumptions much better than questions? By asking a question to Gennady, you:
Why the number of questions Gennady need to minimize? Because for him, the ideal work with you looks like this:
Neither sending requirements, nor communication with you, nor payment here are not included. He needs from you only the result. Adding any element to this process reduces your value to Gennady. The question is such an element. The answer to any question is work. And Gennady pays for the work to you. If you still ask a question, let it be possible to answer “yes” or “no.”
So, you have a range of estimates, a list of assumptions and questions for which answers are not obvious. If you have done a good job, there may be no questions left.
Check yourself again, remembering if similar projects known to you fall into the resulting range? If not, look for an error. If so, call Gennady.
His phone may be in the signature to the letter. Perhaps your colleagues know the phone. It is important to call. If you write a letter, and it will seem to Gennady that the letter is nonsense, this opinion will be strengthened in his head until he receives a refutation from you. Even if it is convincing, the sediment will remain.
During the call, first ask Gennady, what is the purpose of the project. Then speak with Gennady your assumptions and ask questions if they remain. Already at this stage, Gennady will be glad that you have penetrated, and you may exclaim to yourself: “Oh, that’s what they need!”
After receiving the answers, find out what is more important - to realize all the wishes or to meet the budget. If you meet the budget, then what is the size of the budget. If Gennady yulit, answers about the size of the budget is not concrete, inform him that, based on the available data, the assessment range is such and such. Is he all comfortable for him?
At this your first conversation is over. Now focus and match the answer about the goal of the project with its image in your head. If they do not fit in any way, which is normal and happens, go back to the assessment of the range with a new understanding and do it all over again. If they fit together - you are lucky.
By the way, the meeting is even better than the call.
By this time, in most cases you will understand what Gennady really needs and how much he is willing to pay. You can write and coordinate FT, make a project plan and calculate the final cost.
By the way, when writing FT, do not hesitate (without fail agreeing with Gennady) to violate his initial requirements if they contradict the stated goal. Also try to remove everything that does not close to her. If you save Gennady money by helping to achieve goals, his position in the company will be strengthened, the company itself will develop, and you will receive more and more orders from him.
So, you have in the mail a letter from the customer. In the letter of the half-page of requirements and the request to give an assessment.
Let's immediately determine that the collective customer does not exist. Saying: “A project from Microsoft came to us,” in fact, we mean: “Gennady, who now works at Microsoft, sent a letter to us, about a project that someone may need at Microsoft.” So, us in the mail a letter from Gennady.
')
At this moment, please do not undertake anything that involves Gennady. No need to organize a meeting. No need to write a letter with questions. Our task is to reduce the number of actions on his part. Why - below.
Also, please do not opt ​​for the forehead. Almost always, Gennady's budget is limited. Almost always, the requirements are formulated with a margin and, having literally examined them, you will fly out of Gennady's expectations. At best, he will tell you about it, and you will find yourself doing everything that is described below. Only now you have spent the time to make a detailed outline. In the worst case, you will be considered too expensive, and will choose someone else.
You need to figure out the range of the cost of the project. Evaluation will be inaccurate. The range is very wide. This is normal. The only requirement is that the final score should fall within this range.
Give yourself an estimate of exactly one hour. Realize that it doesn't matter how wide the range is. Even if you simply take the cheapest project in your memory as the bottom border, and the most expensive as the top, it will be, albeit with a stretch, enough.
Formulate up to five questions to Gennady, having received answers to which, you will maximally narrow the range of assessment for the allotted hour. And now come up with your own answers so that the assessment is minimal - this is the lower limit of the range. Now imagine that the customer wants everything in the world - you got the upper limit.
If there is a chance to answer any question without the help of Gennady, be sure to do it. The time to search for an answer to such questions is not included in the time allocated for evaluation. Compliance with this simple rule at all stages of the project is one of the key conditions of mutual love with Gennady.
If you can come up with an answer to any question that you think Gennady could give, think up an answer that simplifies your work, and consider this answer as a response to Gennady.
For example, you need to develop an Android application. Should it work on tablets? Let's decide for Gennady what should not, and we will add this decision to the list of assumptions. If you work well, it may turn out that you will not have a single question to Gennady, just a list of assumptions.
Why are assumptions much better than questions? By asking a question to Gennady, you:
- Get Gennady to waste his time.
- You can get a stupid decision and you have to either implement it, or explain to Gennady that he is wrong, which is harmful for the relationship
- You get a stopper on level ground - now you can’t move on, you need a response from Gennady
Why the number of questions Gennady need to minimize? Because for him, the ideal work with you looks like this:
- Get the result
Neither sending requirements, nor communication with you, nor payment here are not included. He needs from you only the result. Adding any element to this process reduces your value to Gennady. The question is such an element. The answer to any question is work. And Gennady pays for the work to you. If you still ask a question, let it be possible to answer “yes” or “no.”
So, you have a range of estimates, a list of assumptions and questions for which answers are not obvious. If you have done a good job, there may be no questions left.
Check yourself again, remembering if similar projects known to you fall into the resulting range? If not, look for an error. If so, call Gennady.
His phone may be in the signature to the letter. Perhaps your colleagues know the phone. It is important to call. If you write a letter, and it will seem to Gennady that the letter is nonsense, this opinion will be strengthened in his head until he receives a refutation from you. Even if it is convincing, the sediment will remain.
During the call, first ask Gennady, what is the purpose of the project. Then speak with Gennady your assumptions and ask questions if they remain. Already at this stage, Gennady will be glad that you have penetrated, and you may exclaim to yourself: “Oh, that’s what they need!”
After receiving the answers, find out what is more important - to realize all the wishes or to meet the budget. If you meet the budget, then what is the size of the budget. If Gennady yulit, answers about the size of the budget is not concrete, inform him that, based on the available data, the assessment range is such and such. Is he all comfortable for him?
At this your first conversation is over. Now focus and match the answer about the goal of the project with its image in your head. If they do not fit in any way, which is normal and happens, go back to the assessment of the range with a new understanding and do it all over again. If they fit together - you are lucky.
By the way, the meeting is even better than the call.
By this time, in most cases you will understand what Gennady really needs and how much he is willing to pay. You can write and coordinate FT, make a project plan and calculate the final cost.
By the way, when writing FT, do not hesitate (without fail agreeing with Gennady) to violate his initial requirements if they contradict the stated goal. Also try to remove everything that does not close to her. If you save Gennady money by helping to achieve goals, his position in the company will be strengthened, the company itself will develop, and you will receive more and more orders from him.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/283910/
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