First and Last Task

What is the first and last task? Keywords? Maybe it is the page titles or meta tags? Any ideas? It is delivering what the customer wants.

I have worked in many engineering companies as a consultant, contractor and an employee. The difference between successful projects and the horror stories is simple. Ask yourself "are you creating what the customer wants?" The web site or content management system may be the coolest technology in the world but if the customer does not like it YOU failed. I have seen truly elogant code that was completely useless because the customer didn't want it. If you are working on your own web site then go ahead, knock yourself out. If you are creating a customers web site then create their vision.

The customer is always right, "but" sometimes the customer needs education. If your customer is not technical they will often ask for things that may not look like what they have in their minds eye, or there is a less expensive alternative that is more cost effective. Giving good advice and gently educating a customer is a skill you have to master in order to really serve your customers. This is where the word "consultant" comes from.

Gentle education is a talent. In general, when confronted, customers resist the offered advice. Gentle education is offering advice in a way that does not generate a confrontation but rather causes the "I see what your saying!" response. Good communications with your customer is paramount. Understand what your customer is trying to say first and then give your best advise.

We have communicated effectively with our customer. Life is good. How do we proceed? The best answer is to get some sort of prototype in front of them as soon as possible. We need the customers buy in. The prototype should fairly represent the design you worked out with the customer so that everyone is clear on what will be delivered. Some find PowerPoint presentations (one slide per page of the web site with links) to be very helpful. Customer expectations must be set appropriately.

Once the first or second page of the site is complete go back and verify with the customer again. Make sure it is coming out the way they expected. The menus look right, the font is right, the colors look good and the content is layed out correctly.

Finally deliver the finished site. Walk the customer carefully through all aspects of their site. Expect revisions at all times. The customer is never perfect. Things are omitted or not thought out completely at design time. Be gracious and factor in some time for these revisions in your quote.

Please endulge me with a short tangent. NEVER SAY NO to a customer. It is always a matter of how. If the customer wants the entire web site done in Java, the answer is not a flat no, it is "are you sure you want to spend that much money when there is a much less expensive alternative?". You say no, they say "bye bye". You talk about them spending too much of their money and better options, they say "like what?". The question they ask is your opportunity to use your expertise to show the customer what is possible and what is in their best interest. Of course if they still insist on a pure Java web site then make a quote and hire a programmer It is, after all is said and done, their project.

Always be customer service oriented. The customer is why we are here, without them you do not have a business. If you are not customer service oriented you will end up working for a company that is, keep your customer happy... or else.


Love you all!

Elliott D. Nadelman

Software Engineer
enadelman@enaresource.com

http://www.enaresource.com