Faire affaire avec un client qui change d’avis. Comment pouvez-vous vous assurer que votre projet reste sur la bonne voie ?

In recruitment perspective, we need to understand the client's objective of hiring for whether it's a replacement role, newly added headcount due to expansion or merely to explore candidate's talent if applicable to the organization. It can help recruiters to understand the need of this hiring. I remember speaking to a client when they drop us an email to request for Commodity Manager. When I try to understand what is the objective of the hiring, the client simply said "We just want to try out if we need".

Client indecision can derail projects. Establish clear communication channels from the outset. Regularly check in, seeking clarifications on their vision. Formalize agreements through contracts or project briefs. Be transparent about how changes impact timelines and budgets. Build flexibility into your project plan. Anticipate changes and allocate buffer time. Focus on core project objectives and prioritize tasks. Involve the client in decision-making, empowering them while maintaining control. Open dialogue is key. Understand the reasons behind changes. Find common ground and offer alternative solutions. Build trust and rapport to foster a collaborative environment.

The situation YOU ARE IN is a very TRICKY spot, one wrong move can cause direct REVENUE LOSS. Approach this situation with EMPATHY, your CLIENT is INDECISIVE because they lack the maturity or knowledge to grasp the REQUIREMENTS, they NEED vs WANT. If you have the MATURITY, you can share that with the CLIENT to exhibit your EXPERTISE and get a BUY-IN they have not thought before, SAVING TIME & EFFORT & MONEY with it.

When you’re dealing with a client who keeps changing their mind, it’s really important to set clear boundaries and expectations right from the beginning. Create a solid project plan with clear milestones. If changes come up, talk through how they’ll affect the timeline and budget, and make sure to document everything. As a Project Manager, I learned to be flexible but firm. Always communicate how these changes will impact the project. Don’t let changes keep happening without addressing how they affect the project. This helps me manage expectations and keeps the relationship strong while ensuring the project stays on track. Trust me, it’ll make your life a lot easier.

OPEN COMMUNICATION starts with discussing what's FAIR and UNFAIR with the requirements and timeline from your CLIENT. In a CLIENT interaction, it is mostly about FINDING the COMMON GROUND to get what each party WANTS!

When you are thinking about BEING FLEXIBLE it should be incorporated in the DESIGN from the start to ACCOMODATE sudden changes in the solution. DESIGNING a TIGHT solution with NO ROOM for flexibility will HAUNT you back when your TRY TO SUDDENLY BECOME FLEXIBLE!

The OLD SCHOOL way of doing the DECISION LOGS is to write up an EXCEL and CONSTANTLY updating it whenever a DECISION is made. You AUTOMATE this process tools LIKE JIRA / CONFLUENCE and many STORYBOARDING tools to visualize, collaborate and loop-in all stakeholders INCLUDING client on the changes / addition of DECISIONS made.

In a CLIENT - VENDOR relationship, the COMMON MISTAKE done by both parties is to SET EXPECTATIONS like SHOOTING for STAR and but ACCEPTS landing on the MOON. The EXPECTATIONS should be REALISTIC and FAIR, if it is not ATTAINED it is a LESSON LEARNT to improve for next ITERATION. The PROBLEM with UNREALISTIC / UNFAIR expectations is the UNSPOKEN rule of reaching 50% is enough, but THINGS GET MESSY when the CLIENT did not reach their FINANCIAL GOALS and POINT FINGERS on the expectations NOT being MET!

Client who keeps changing their minds has multiple reasons. - Lack of qualitative inputs - Poor research - Wrong examples - Poor advisory as the projects begins to take shape. While these may be primary reasons, some of the other few reasons could be: - Over exposure to social media, hence gets confused in making the right choice. - Incorrect data - Not interacting with clients, there by doesn't have authentic information. Manage them by: - Setting clear expectations. - Follow up rigrously and ensure all stakeholders are on the same page. - Reiterate the importance of sticking to commitments & consequences of non-adherence. - Keep updating at short frequencies to gain client confidence,.ensure you build trust