IT consultants must have in consideration not to assume that lack of technical knowledge is the only issue. It is commonly assumed that clients would want to buy only technical expertise from a consultant. Consultants need to keep in mind that clients might be looking not only for the technical approach, but also for help in many other areas of improvement.
The initial contact with the client is an assessment of both the technical competence and personal traits. Questioning will be typical in an initial interview, and more than likely the client will be also wondering if he or she can trust the other party.
Using the power of observation is crucial for the success of a consultant as important clues can be gathered from the client's reaction.
According to the author the following are simple rules a consultant can follow to positively influence the client's evaluation:
- Give confidence to receive confidence
- Don't push the river
- Don't prescribe before diagnosing
- Test your understanding
It is critical to use a structured method of profiling the meeting between the client and the consultant during the initial interview.
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