WordCamp San Diego 2013 - Why Projects Go South

Client Challenges: Why Projects Go South

Sunday, March 24, 13

The phrase “go south” (or sideways) refers to when a project doesn’t go as planned. It also inevitably means the client is upset and the project, as it sits at that moment, is in jeopardy.

Why Projects Go South @CrowdedSites


You don’t have to brush all of your teeth, just the ones you want to keep.

- Judy Chyrchel (My Mom)



This presentation will feature three scenarios illustrating why projects go south and their solutions.

We will follow up with some tips on how to keep our clients happy and our projects on track.



Are bad projects preventable?



Where in the website building process do projects go south?



Why do projects go south?



Who’s responsibility is it to make sure projects don’t go south?



TRUTH:Bad projects are preventable. Projects can go bad at any time. Projects go bad when we don’t communicate and it is our responsibility to keep our project on track.



Whenever I ask myself those questions after a project has gone bad, the blame initially is never on myself. After more thought, I do concede that I could have done more.



SCENARIO 1:A designer has designed websites for a few years. A new big dollar project has come up. They want to build the next facebook with BuddyPress. The designer installed the plugin on their site and it looked easy. They could do this whole job themselves and make bank! What should they do?



SOLUTION:1. Creating the next “facebook” is a huge risk

filled with unrealistic expectations. 2. The designer is under experienced. 3. They could partner up, but the designer lacks

the foresight to spec the project correctly. 4. The designer should gracefully pass on this

project.



ANALYSIS:Red Flags:1. The designer would not meet the clients

“facebook” expectations.2. If the job goes south the designer could not

finish the job alone, thus incurring more cost, making a bad situation worse.



SCENARIO 2:A developer is building an ecommerce site for a small business. The client constantly wants to meet to discuss strategy. After a while the developer reschedules meetings and is slow to return emails. One day they get an email titled “Mandatory Meeting.” In it the client is upset. What now?



SOLUTION:1. Get back to the client immediately. 2. Agree to meet them as soon as possible. 3. Prepare a list of what has been completed and

what is left to be completed. 4. Listen to the client. 5. Apologize. 6. Explain the time commitment you can afford. 7. Create a launch schedule. 8. Execute.



ANALYSIS:What happened?1. The developer did not set the right

expectations at the beginning of the project for how they work.

2. The project was not being managed, so the client took control.

3. Now the developer has to work twice as hard and probably do some extra work, to appease the client.



SCENARIO 3:Your new style, is to communicate every step of the way, good or bad. You are in production and though there is nothing to show, you consistently send email updates about project updates, delays and challenges. The client emails that they don’t think you can finish the project and want their money back. Huh?



SOLUTION:1. Contact the client immediately and set up either

a face to face or phone meeting. 2. Prepare a list of what has been completed and

what still has to be completed.3. When you meet, apologize for over

communicating and explain updates will come when there is something to “see.”

4. Set a date in the near future where you will show the client your progress.

5. Reiterate your commitment to the project.



ANALYSIS:1. The project is taking too long. 2. You are over communicating with information

the client doesn’t care about or doesn’t understand.

3. The client hasn’t seen anything. 4. All of your emails about “updates” and

“challenges” sound like you don’t know what you are doing and you are struggling.

5. Next time ask the client up front how they like to be updated. Be flexible if that changes too.



The What If’sEvery project is different. Not every solution described in these scenario’s will work for everyone or may even apply. If a project is under stress it may be better to terminate the project and move on.



Developer Termination Reasons:1. Non payment.2. Client pivot’s - project is now out of scope.3. No client involvement.4. Constant delays. 5. You don’t have enough time.



Client Termination Reasons:1. No progress.2. No communication.3. Nickel and dimmed for changes.4. Unexpected results. 5. Developer won’t make revisions.



How to terminate a project:1. Include a Termination clause in your contract.2. Handle it like a business transaction.3. Use a Termination Agreement if files and final

payment are exchanged.4. It’s in the clients best interest to sign a

termination agreement, otherwise you own everything.

5. Payment needs to be received for the amount of work that was performed before termination.

6. Don’t keep money you didn’t earn.



Final Power Tips:1. Your client is the person who is paying you and

the person you are paying.2. Sign a contract with clients and subcontractors.3. Don’t talk poorly about your clients. Be

respectful. Remember, they chose you.4. When working with others, don’t bad mouth your

colleagues. We are all in this together. Be professional.

5. Don’t be afraid. No one is going to hurt you. It’s never too late to do the right thing.



Ignoring the obvious and not addressing your clients needs as soon as they arise, will only create a situation that gets rancid over time. Much like this jar of mayonnaise.



Questions?



Thank you!• Slides at www.CrowdedSites.com• Follow me @weschyrchel & @crowdedsites• For any questions feel free to contact me!• [email protected]



http://www.CrowdedSites.com

http://www.CrowdedSites.com

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

WordCamp San Diego 2013 - Why Projects Go South