Under-promise, over-deliver

Managing client projects is one of the most important parts of your business. Your profitability will live and die based on your firm’s ability to deliver on time and within scope. Slips in either one of these areas will not only affect your bottom line, but your firm’s reputation and client relationships.

Managing projects effectively — particularly in the digital arena where creative and technology are involved — can make the difference between success and failure, especially now as companies try to do more with fewer resources.

Want to know how to manage your projects — and your clients — more effectively? First, do a good job in scoping the project. Before even considering the deliverables, understand the “why” and the “what” — then get to the “how.” When you’re ready to dive in, here are a few tips to guide you through the project management process:

Do your homework: Before engaging your client in the project lifecycle, it’s important to know everything possible about the client. This includes market size, competition, technology applications, product and service background, etc. By first understanding the environment the client operates in, you will be able to speak more intelligently with the client about their business and the ultimate assignment.

Ask a ton of questions: Defining business requirements for a project is one of the most overlooked (or glossed over) steps in the development process. Your clients may know what they want, but you want to know why they want it. By asking smart questions and probing at the core marketing objectives, you and your clients may come to the conclusion that they don’t actually want what they thought they needed.

Don’t get creative — yet: Defining the business objectives of the project first will ensure that you and your clients are on the same page. Document what the project needs to accomplish, and then determine how you will meet those objectives. Again, we’re not talking about creative or development yet, we’re talking about the drafting of a blueprint that will give both the agency and client a crystal clear view of what needs to be created — and how it will be created. Mutual consensus at this stage is essential. Don’t fall into the trap of moving forward with the hope of better defining the project scope once you’re a bit further into the project itself.

Be objective, not subjective: By providing your clients rationale first and creative ideas second, you won’t get hung up with minor details that impede the project lifecycle. If you provide solid business rationale for your recommendations, the client will be less likely to impose subjective “likes” and “dislikes” into the project. You don’t want to fall into the tweaking trap, and you don’t want to end up with a diluted idea that no longer matches your vision.

Timing is everything: Develop a realistic timeline at the onset of the project, and stick to it. Give the client plenty of time to gather assets, perform internal reviews, etc. Make sure everyone understands that missed dates will shift the schedule. Internally, anticipate the worst and then plan for it. That way, your team will be ready to respond to just about any situation, while maintaining the integrity of the overall schedule. This will make the agency look good, and your client a happy client. Remain as disciplined as possible, yet understand when extenuating circumstance may impede progress and deal with these situations as a team with your client.

Deliver pieces, don’t wait for the whole: Clients like to see what they are getting for their money, so delivering tangible results in an ongoing manner allows both parties to feel good about progress. It’s also a great safety measure to make sure everyone is on the same page before you get too deep into the project. For example, in the Web design and development business, we set target dates for key milestones, then launch the Web site in phases. This allows our clients to see first-hand the results we are achieving, which is particularly helpful with a long project lifecycle.

Take the lead: It is important to remember that the client hired you for your expertise — and because you know more about managing the project than they do. Instead of making your client the head chef in your project kitchen, guide the client and manage their expectations throughout the project. This will make your relationship much more constructive, and reduce the amount of squabbling over minutiae.

Michael LeBeau is CEO of Byte Interactive of Norwalk, CT. He can be reached at www.byteinteractive.com.