Discussion 4

What questions do you have for your fellow classmates about their experience during this practicum or in any part of the program thus far? (Provide a minimum of two questions.) 

Remember that your relationship with the client is confidential so your posts throughout the following weeks should not list specific details about the client you secured.

Brian Post:The success of creating relationships has not been as challenging now because I am currently reaching out to potential clients that I have a personal relationship with. These clients are willing to extend our relationship to a professional level. With my current clients being people with whom I have personal relationships, I am hoping not to damage that relationship due to issues on the professional side. I was always advised that friends and business do not mix, but I am hoping to gain their trust on a professional level to the extent of gaining their professional trust and possible future referrals.

 As I prepare for meetings, I hope to provide a contract that is agreeable to the client. I consider this to be challenging because I expect the potential client to expect favors because of our relationship. I have built a reputation while working with my current employer which has caught the attention of my potential clients, so I am hoping that the work that I conduct through my professional consulting business doesn’t affect the clients' relationship with my current employer. I need to make this contract clear that it is with me and me alone with no affiliation with my current employer. 

I am anticipating many challenges and successes as my consulting business advances. The key is to celebrate your successes and to overcome the challenges by making continuous improvements to enhance my consulting skills and reputation. Through both opportunities for success and challenges, I expect company growth. I am hoping to build my reputation to attract new clients and referrals by gaining the trust of my upcoming clients.

Patricia post: Building successful client relationships is crucial for long-term success.  A task that is not quite easily attained.  However, it is important to establish and maintain strong client relationships.  In doing so, a consultant can avoid challenges such as miscommunication to differing expectations.  Thus, by implementing several best practices, a consultant can cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships with his/her clients.  This can lead to increased loyalty, referrals, and ultimately business growth.

These are my concerns as I currently moving from a 12-year employer/employee relationship with my current employer to a client/consultant relationship for this class project.  While there were no challenges in creating this relationship, I understand that maintaining a successful relationship is the cornerstone of a successful project outcome for my class and ultimately for the Company.  As such, having practical strategies to overcome challenges such as miscommunication to differing expectations that can hinder the development of a strong client relationship is important.

My objective in maintaining this relationship is to understand the challenges between client/consultant relationships and develop strategies for building this relationship. In doing so, I will be mindful to remove any communication barriers, do not set any unrealistic expectations, set a clear scope of the task at hand, maintain trust, prioritize the building of the relationship, foster collaboration, and engagement, if necessary, provide exceptional customer service, and demonstrate value through results.  If I can deliver on these, then I am confident that challenges such as misunderstanding, delays, and conflicts can be removed which will ultimately lead to a great start in investing in long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains.

Fostering an open and transparent communication channel, and actively listening to my client’s needs and concerns are a few ways in having effective communication.  Clearly defining deliverables, setting a realistic timeline, and regularly updating my client on progress and potential roadblocks can aid in setting realistic expectations.  A written defined project scope, an established change request for any additional work, and communicating how a change in scope will affect budget and timeline will mitigate any “scope creep.”  These are some best practices that I can borrow from my experience as an auditor dealing with clients to make this project a success.