Becoming a Leader In Consulting

Getting known for making projects succeed

Delivering Good Client Service

As many good consultants attest, one of the best ways to build a strong reputation is to deliver good client service. What does this mean? It means that I show up to work each day, put forth my best effort, and perform well consistently day-after-day. Here is my litmus test to quickly assess if I am delivering good client-service:

• Am I making my project succeed?
• Am I making my clients succeed?
• Am I making my senior management succeed?

Personality aside, if I know what is needed to get the job done, and if the client likes my work, it builds some security. Nothing these days is certain, but having a client request for my services stacks the odds in my favor.

Improving the Client’s Experience

What does it take to go above and beyond good client-service work? The first task is understanding the client’s environment. Within the first couple of interactions, assess the environment. What is the decision-making process, and who are the influencers? What are the “unspoken rules of the road” that will help me acclimate to the environment? How do they like to get things done (e.g. consensus-oriented or heirarchical)?

As I learn more about my client and their business, I study what critical issues my client faces. I accomplish this by listening, observing, inquiring, reading, and analyzing at every chance. The more that I can understand my client’s perspective, the more resourceful I can be (email related articles, suggest alternatives, and brainstorm solutions).

Developing Others to Build Succeed

Building a solid reputation for client-service takes many forms. As an individual contributor, I make sure to clearly understand my role and the deliverables that are assigned to me. It also means that I have good teamwork skills and that I contribute to the success of others on the project.

Building success means learning what interests others (they can be consultants and clients alike) and what skills they would like to develop. For example even though I may be the go-to person for release management operations, I can cultivate that skill in others. When the timing is appropriate, I can suggest how roles and responsibilities can be crafted to give others the opportunity to learn and grow.

This makes it a win on several levels:

• The project wins because now that skill set can be tapped from several people
• I win because now I can be known for a core capability and teaching others.
• Others win because they are able to learn a new skill and grow.