Discussion on:

Listen more and talk less, independent consultant advises

I agree that listening is the key to getting at what your customer want's as well as understanding what they really need.

I am a Sr. Consultant for a small consulting firm which specializes in S & A(selection and acquisition) of billing software for Utilities. One of the advanatages we have is flexability in our approach to a prospective client. Since we don't have formal corporate structured approach, we rely a lot on getting to know the customer professionally as well as understading who the key decision makers are as people. Many times when we go into a presentation, we begin to talk alot about what they have to win or lose based on the descions that are made conerning the project.

This builds a personal relationship, however slight, but it allows the customer to at least remember you as someone they can talk to, who will understand what predicament they may be in if the project fails. This gives them the sense that you will work for them on a personal level not just on a professional level.

It is possible to listen too much to a client. Internal polictics and "turf wars" are waaay beyond the scome of any IT project.

If you're spending the majority of your time figuring out personailty conflicts within the client organization than it's a management problem, not a technical one, that the client needs help with.

Many consultants, being more salesman than an engineer, will still take a job even if it means working outside their scope of ability.