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________________________________________________________________________________________
American Council of
Engineering Companies
Volume XXII, Number 19
August 10,
2001
1015 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-347-7474
Fax
202-898-0068
www.acec.org
E-mail acec@acec.org
Francis George, Editor
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GA Report |
Business
Defining the Client’s Responsibilities
Something often overlooked in the business development and proposal process is to clearly define the roles of each player. You won’t be able to do the work effectively without input and contribution from the client. Your project approach statements should also detail what you need and expect from him and his firm. The following example shows how you can outline this in your proposal.
Acme Corporation’s Responsibilities:
We all want this project to flow as smoothly and efficiently as possible. To accomplish that, Acme must be an active participant in the process. Among your major responsibilities will be:
1. Provide a single project coordinator who is assigned to the successful completion of this job.
2. Provide complete and accurate documentation of existing systems and services in the facility.
3. Make timely decisions consistent with the schedule we have prepared to allow our work and the work of other consultants and contractors to stay on schedule.
4. Keep us informed of any physical, organizational, or other changes during the course of the project that might influence the outcome of the project.
In short, this project must be a collaborative effort between the Acme Corporation and Smith and Jones Engineers.
Including statements such as the above in your proposal make it clear that you have not only thought the project through and identified areas where glitches may occur, you have also taken a leadership position in coordinating the effort that will be needed. This increases the client’s confidence that the consultant will come in, take charge, and make the problem go away.
Excerpted from Wired: How to Crawl Inside Your Client’s Mind, by David Stone. Wired is available for sale through the ACEC Bookshop #LW-332, $49 members, $69 non-members, $4 s/h. Orders should be sent to ACEC, FAX (202) 789-7220, or purchase this publication online at www.acec.org/publications/. Please include your Mastercard, Visa, or American Express number with the expiration date, contact name, firm name, street address, phone number, and e-mail address on fax orders.