TechIdeas

I thought I’d do a very quick rather tongue in cheek post about some of the things you should think about as before meeting a new prospective client. I think that these will probably really only apply to people working in technical fields, but I may well be wrong…

I have to say that I may have committed some of the less grievous don’ts listed but more out of professional zeal and an attempt to impress than anything malicious…

Surveillance - Good idea but use in moderation...

• Do: Make sure you know where your client is based and have some idea how you intend to get there for the meeting. Being on time and relatively unstressed is likely to be important.
   

• Don’t: Stake out your clients offices for a week before your meeting and use the information gathered to let yourself into the meeting room before your clients arrive for work. Knocking out their security guards and security system to gain entry is also generally considered bad form.

Anyone who has ever had to find a tiny unit on some huge industrial estate will know what I am talking about here.

• Do: Research your clients area of business and their operations as they apply to the service you want to provide for them.
   

• Don’t: Break into their corporate network, ‘borrow’ their operational documents and point out any mistakes you may have found. Also don’t threaten that you will go to the competition with your uncanny knowledge of their operations if they don’t sign a contract at the end of the meeting.

It may be nice to find problems with a clients IT network, for those of you who provide security services it may even be the catalyst that gets you in the door with a particular client, using it as a bargaining chip may be less than helpful though. I guess it’s a matter of ethics and morals.

Google streetview is a powerful tool, and like all powerful tools it comes with great responsibility.

• Do: Get hold of some background information about key people in the organisation you are looking to work with, linked in and other professional networking sites may help you.
   

• Don’t: Find and memorise every piece of information you can about those you meet and use it to give the impression that you read minds, also avoid commenting on how nice their house looks, or how much fun their kids seem to have playing in the garden just because it is visible on street view.

Because no one wants to feel watched, although it may become useful if you are pursuing debts at some point down the line

It's amazing how many people don't think to properly dispose of sensitive documents.

• Do: Try to make sure you have a rough idea what your services will cost before your meeting.
   

• Don’t: Take the copies of your clients bank statements acquired from their bins or on-line to the meeting so that you can emphasize the fact that they can afford your rates. You should also probably not transfer the funds you require to complete any contract from their accounts to yours during the meeting without their express consent.

You should also learn to ignore the shocked look you will get from the CFO of any organisation when dealing with estimates and quotes, I assume that there is a school somewhere were that look of shock, offense and incredulity is taught to promising young men and women.

• Do: Bring something with you on which you can make notes about what you have discussed.
   

• Don’t: Bug the meeting room in advance, or wear a ‘wire’, I would also advise against take notes on a laptop and then using your clients open or poorly encrypted wireless network to print them out during the meeting.

You shouldn’t do the latter of this even if you are sat next to the printer, it unnerves people, although it does emphasize your argument that they should probably do something about their network security.

• Do: Make sure you have a plan for dealing with any problems, such as contractual breaches, before you start, that way everyone will know where they stand.
   

• Don’t: Have that plan involve firearms, incendiary devices or executives children/pets etc….

Remember that there may well be different rules and customs in different parts of the world, It may be that the above does not apply in places such as Colombia, Somalia or Russia, I would suggest checking with the Foreign Office before setting out.

Well there you go, please remember that this was intended as amusing rather than informative, I can’t accept any liability for what you might go out and do.

Ed: Just as an additional point for a select few (you know who you are), please don’t email the content of this page to all your friends because you think they will find it funny, they probably won’t, or at least not by the seventeenth time. I really don’t want to be responsible for one of those…