Re:What should I do about my client's unrealistic expectations?
by larrys on Thursday June 06, 2013 @03:59PM
(#5834815)
"and the only two metrics they have are (a) not spending so much money that they look like idiots and (b) a successful outcome for the project."
Absolutely. Having founded (and sold) a printing and graphics company pre-internet the saying back then was "price, quality, speed" pick any two. (Which is used in many businesses obviously).
The only customers worth having really were covered by "a" and "b". You made money on them as you slowly were able to inch up the pricing after initially getting a foot in the door.
The only exception I can think of is when we did government work where the only thing that mattered was price with one exception: If you delivered for the bidding agent they were more likely to call you for projects that they had on short notice where the price wasn't as relevant [1] which is because of "b". Which more or less continues to prove the point you made.
Add: [1] They could pick who the bidders were so they could steer work to a favored bidder if they wanted to.
Absolutely. Having founded (and sold) a printing and graphics company pre-internet the saying back then was "price, quality, speed" pick any two. (Which is used in many businesses obviously).
The only customers worth having really were covered by "a" and "b". You made money on them as you slowly were able to inch up the pricing after initially getting a foot in the door.
The only exception I can think of is when we did government work where the only thing that mattered was price with one exception: If you delivered for the bidding agent they were more likely to call you for projects that they had on short notice where the price wasn't as relevant [1] which is because of "b". Which more or less continues to prove the point you made.
Add: [1] They could pick who the bidders were so they could steer work to a favored bidder if they wanted to.