As professional service providers we often walk a fine line in delivering bespoke software to a diverse set of clients. Each with their own traits and desires. Clients want partnerships. So do agencies and service providers. Like in every human relationship, this calls for compromises and the need to give and take. From small to large, contracts and requirements are always contending with core Agile values. No methods, contracts or processes can replace nor dismiss the essential ingredients of understanding, openness, passion and creativity which are key in making software development a success and ensuring happy relationships. Which is often quite hard to achieve. This session is for business owners, sales professionals and client facing experts. It will share some lessons learned (sometimes the hard way) about: - how to sell digital projects to inexperienced Agile teams - how to deliver digital services within time and budget - protecting the team from overpromising delivering bad news to clients - negotiating contracts and adhering to them This presentation is called For good or for worse, building happy client relationships. It was part of Drupaljam 2023:connected, one of the largest Drupal events in Europe about Digital, Drupal and Open Source. This presentation can be used under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA). Some content in it may be copyrighted and is used without explicit permission, with attribution and/or as illustration ("to quote"). https://drupaljam.nl/sessions/good-or-worse-making-happy-client-relationships

1. For good or for worse: making
happy client relationships
1 June 2023
First-hand experiences from supplying digital services
across various disciplines in multiple projects in Europe
Imre Gmelig Meijling

2. About me
Imre Gmelig Meijling (15.01.1975)
Managing Director React Online digital agency from Eindhoven, NL
Internet Unlimited, Krimson/Wunderkraut, Ordina/Clockwork, LimoenGroen
United Nations, Disney, Port of Rotterdam, Suzuki, Oil & Vinegar, Konica-Minolta
Digital design, Lotus Notes, Java, Web development, Drupal, Agile
On Drupal.org for 16 years 6 months
Co-creator of Drupaljam and the Splash Awards
Board member Dutch Drupal Association 8 yrs, fmr. Chair
Interim board member Drupal Association 2022
Executive member DrupalCon Europe Advisory Committee 4 yrs
Favorite books: Rework, What If?*, The Golden Circle
* What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

3. In this session
1. how to sell digital projects to inexperienced Agile teams
2. how to deliver digital services within time and budget
3. protecting the team from overpromising
4. delivering bad news to clients
5. negotiating contracts and adhering to them

4. How to sell digital projects to
inexperienced Agile teams
Everyone is doing some form of sales

5. https://intl.startrek.com/database_article/mind-meld-vulcan
Photo ©CBS

6. A touch technique that allows a Vulcan to merge
his or her mind with the essence of another's
mind.
https://intl.startrek.com/database_article/mind-meld-vulcan
Photo ©CBS
Vulcan Mind-Meld

7. A well prepared session that allows to build the
foundation of an Agile development relationship at the
start.
Invite your client to an onboarding welcoming session.
Encourage them to invite their teammates and
management as well. Talk them through how the game is
going to be played. Be honest about caveats and pitfalls.
It will be a huge benefit to witness this at the very start
and meet you in person.
Agile Mind-Meld kick off

8. ● Take out fear, be open from day one. Take the
time to onboard your client, management and all.
● Trust is hard to build up. It takes two to tango.
Your client needs to meet you halfway, always.
● If you need to take all the risk, that’s no
partnership. It’s outdated and old fashioned. If
that’s what they’re looking for, they need to pay
for it. But really?
● Setbacks will occur, overcoming them is a team
effort.
Lessons learned: How to sell digital projects to
inexperienced Agile teams

9. How to deliver digital services
within time and budget
Make it so it fits the budget

10. Photo ©Automatiek Deurne

11. ● Making software is about working together to define
what we’ll make since we don’t know yet what that will
be or look like. Not just once, but continuously, when
new insights, setbacks or wins occur.
● This will be done in a way that fits within budget. This is
fixed price, flexible scope. Scope could totally change,
the budget remains fixed.
● Help your client say ‘not now’.
● Don’t take a feature list for granted. You’re not a
cafeteria. Dare to challenge.
Lessons learned: How to deliver digital services
within time and budget

12. Protecting the team from
overpromising
Make commitments, not promises

14. ● Bring your team into the estimate process together with
the client. Have them confront each other on what
makes things hard to estimate or accomplish.
● Be open and transparent about everything. Also that
you don’t know, “for not even the very wise can foresee
all ends.” (nor can all the money in the world).
● Commitments are not promises. Estimates are not
actuals. Planning is guessing.
Lessons learned: Protecting the team from
overpromising

15. Delivering bad news to clients
It’s not that bad.

16. https://twitter.com/teelocity
Photo ©Teelocity

17. 1. Is there anything that is holding you back from
achieving what’s in the Design and the User Stories?
2. Is there anything that is going to be different from
Design or what’s in the User Stories?
3. Is there anything taking up more or less time than
estimated?
Three questions

18. ● Changes will occur. This is clear from the start of every
project you do. Money can’t cover it.
● Bad news isn’t always as bad as ‘bad’ sounds. Prepare
for but-what-we-can-do-is-this alternatives. If you put
some effort into it, there are always alternatives.
● Bad news is best served straight up, without hesitation
or twisting around.
● Early and often: discuss things when they occur.
Lessons learned: Delivering bad news to clients

19. Negotiating contracts and
adhering to them
Good contracts make good friends

20. 1. I won’t commit to things I can’t control.
2. If you need penalties and incentives, make them mutual.
3. We are offering our services and years of experience,
not a result. We’ll help you reach yours.
Three basic rules for contracts

21. ● Contracts don’t always have to be S.M.A.R.T.. Working
Agile is S.M.A.R.T. enough.
● Contracts are always negotiable. Name your terms.
● Don’t commit to something you can’t deliver. It will work
against you.
Lessons learned: Negotiating contracts
and adhering to them

22. Find the shirt,
get the Avatar!
reactonline.nl
Thank you!

23. Join our team
reactonline.nl
Back-end developers
Front-end developers
Full stack developers
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Jobs

25. This presentation is called For good or for worse, building happy client
relationships. It was part of Drupaljam 2023:connected, one of the largest
Drupal events in Europe about Digital, Drupal and Open Source.
This presentation can be used under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
(CC BY-NC-SA). Some of this content may be copyrighted and is used
without explicit permission, with attribution and/or as illustration ("to quote").
Copyrights CC BY-NC-SA