[Sigia-l] site redesign sales proposals

[Jonathan Baker-Bates]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: sigia-l-bounces at asis.org 
> [mailto:sigia-l-bounces at asis.org] On Behalf Of Ziya Oz
> Sent: 23 August 2007 18:59
> To: SIGIA-L
> Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] site redesign sales proposals
<snip>
> 
> > Personally, I'd say that a client who awards me a 
> significant contract 
> > based on the content, rather than the style, of what I said in the 
> > pitch isn't the kind of client I'd want to have six months into the 
> > real project.
> 
> Hmm. If I read this literally, you seem to be saying that it 
> just doesn't matter what you say or that how you say it is 
> much more important than what you say. Since when do we have 
> to separate the two and choose one or the other? 
> 
> As a client, (if I didn't know or trust a consultant) I'd be 
> interested in learning how well he understands my problem and 
> not (just) how he says he can understand it or what he might 
> do if he really tried.
> 

Perhaps "style" is the wrong choice of word (and no choice between style
or substance is intended). How about "approach"? If, for example, I go
in with a pitch that assumes I know nothing about the client's problems,
but have a lot of good ways to find out about them so as to apply a
well-constructed design solution (the "summersaults" I refer to) then
that demonstrates more to the client than some other approaches we've
been mentioning. 

That's not to say that many pitches are won on the substance of what is
said, but if the approach is in line with the client's views on the
issue, then that it what counts *more.* If I had a fiver for every
project that I've worked on where the substance of the pitch was adhered
to throughout, then I'd be a very, very poor man by now.

But markets vary, even in our little industry.

> I say that if a client is spending only 1/100 of the budget 
> on the most important part of a project, then something is wrong.

Yes, but that is how the cookie tends to crumble in most cases. I for
one am prepared to accept that, and other unfortunate circumstances we
deal with day-to-day. 

Jonathan


______________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email 
______________________________________________________________________