Not All Business is Good Business
By Marcia Kaplan, Kaplan & Associates
Should you take any work that comes your way or should you be selective about the projects you accept?
Every consultant grapples with that question at some point. When you first start out as a consultant you want to establish yourself and achieve some cash flow. The thought of turning down a paying assignment is unimaginable. You might even think that turning down work would be perceived as unprofessional or damaging to your reputation. But at some point you will encounter an engagement that looks a bit dicey at the proposal stage or one that is outside your core competency. Taking that assignment may be more damaging to your reputation and your pocketbook than turning it down.
Recognizing a problematic engagement
Circumstances that should alert you that a project might not be worth pursuing:
- A vague scope of work or one that seems to be constantly changing.
- An unreasonably short time-frame for the breadth and/or depth of the project.
- An inadequate budget.
- A fixed-fee contract with a short time-frame and/or a very broad scope of work. The client may be hoping that your sense of professionalism will induce you to work 60 hours a week or indefinitely to furnish the deliverable.
- Working with a new employee who may herself have only a tenuous grasp of the project. She may not yet be familiar with the corporate culture and may not have an established relationship with her supervisor. Alternatively, she may be the project champion, trying to impress C-level execs by trying something new, but she may not have their support or a budget.
- Your contact does not respond to your questions or rough drafts you submit, or do her part to get the project going.
You should of course try to negotiate to arrive at a more acceptable contract. You can prod the client to better define the project scope, eliminate some less-pressing items, or extend the timeframe. If a client is intransigent you should expect an uncompromising position throughout the work schedule. Sometimes the client will accept your suggested changes but at the end of the project be dissatisfied because the deliverable deviated too much from the company's original goals.
Is the project in your core competency?
Occasionally, a project that you thought was in your area of expertise turns out to be something entirely different. This is most likely to happen when the project is coming through a third-party that is interpreting the client's wishes. If the work is outside your area of expertise, just say so. Pursuing such an engagement will likely result in a poor work product and damaged relationships.
Sometimes an existing client asks you to do something outside of your skill set. Don't do anything that you can't do well. It may actually cost the client more because the assignment takes you longer to complete and the deliverable may not be as good as it could have been had an expert done it. Or, it will cost you more because you decide to absorb the cost of your learning-curve. Instead, offer to help the client find someone suitable, or sub-contract the work (with the client's permission) and manage the project yourself.
Still tempted? These are the consequences
Do you think you're so talented and so flexible that you can make anything work? Think of the repercussions if you're wrong.
If a client is unhappy with a project's outcome, it's usually the consultant who gets the blame, even if circumstances outside the consultant's control contributed to an unsatisfactory result. That client will never recommend you to anyone else inside the company or to any other company. A dissatisfied client may complain about you to colleagues in other companies. That damages your reputation and brand value.
If you sign a contract and can't complete the project by the unreasonable deadline you agreed to, the client can refuse to pay you. Even if the client provided vague expectations, if they are unhappy with the deliverable, you are held responsible.
Chances are one of the reasons you became a consultant was to become more independent and gain more control over your work. Having your own business means that you define who you want to work with and what businesses are the best match for your services. Dealing with difficult clients saps your energy and your resources. On the other hand, turning down a bad project shows that you're savvy and experienced enough to only accept work that you feel confident you can complete professionally, giving the client a satisfactory and timely deliverable. A successful consultant can let go of the idea that any client is a good client.
Marcia Kaplan is president of Kaplan & Associates, a market research and marketing strategy consultancy.
© 2008 Kaplan & Associates, All rights reserved.
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