[Sigia-l] Presenting IA to clients

[Tim Salam]

> I'd be interested in hearing others stories and
> solutions to problems that arose when presenting to
> clients.

Well, I don't have one of those, but have a funny story to relate...

Back when I used to work for marchFIRST (before it tanked), I was on a
project to develop a gigantic (read: "ambitious") web-based application for
a client.  It was very far into the project and things were not going well
at all.  The team was experiencing extreme levels of stress and management
was doing everything they could to keep themselves from going out their
fifth-story windows.

A large meeting is scheduled, a presentation by our team to fifty(!) members
of the clients management and development staff, including the CEO and so
on.  Everyone was stressed out about this and that, preparing documents for
the presentation.

I drove myself to the client and was supposed to bring a large site map with
me, but due to printing problems I had to leave and have a cohort drive it
over to me at the client.

I was outside on my way up the steps toward the lobby at the client site
when I find myself matching pace with the project manager, who was a bundle
of nerves and documents at this point.  It was two minutes to the
presentation starting time, and his eyes flashed open when he saw I arrived
without the site map under my arm (he didn't know someone was following just
a minute behind me with it).

He said, "Did you bring the site map?" in a panic.  I said, "Actually, I
thought I'd do something a little different this time around."  The PM
stopped in his tracks and held his breath - "What do you mean?" he said with
wild eyes.  I said, "Well, I thought I'd present the site map in the form of
an interpretive dance."

He couldn't choose between hitting me or passing right out.  It seemed he
was going into some sort of arrest, so I said, "Hey, I'm kidding.  Bob is
following me with it - he'll be here in a few seconds."

I can't believe I kept my job. :)

(others with similar stories, please share!)

Tim Salam
Vice President
Essemble IT Solutions
http://www.essemble.com
480-332-5521
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sheila Dehner" <s_dehner at yahoo.com>
To: <sigia-l at asis.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2002 1:01 PM
Subject: [Sigia-l] Presenting IA to clients


> Speaking of presenting IA to clients.....
>
>
> S.
>
>
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>
>
>
>
> =====
> Sheila Dehner
> 212.799.7505
> s_dehner at yahoo.com
>
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