Hi, this is Jason with TeamGantt.
Presenting your project plan to a client
can seem like a daunting thing, but it doesn't have to.
There are some simple things you can
do to make the process nice and smooth for everyone.
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When you're working on a project with a client or product owner,
it's critical to be 100% sure they
understand all the details of your team has discussed.
Your clients may not be familiar with your processes
or deliverables, so this is your chance to enlighten them.
Explain your overall process and how you as a team
arrived at the approach you lined out.
Feel free to explain how it has worked on previous projects
or how you're trying something new this time.
No matter what, though, you should
stand behind the approach you decided on
and be confident about its potential for success.
Review the deliverables and all the details that will help you
produce the project on time.
It's important to explain what work
must be done to complete a deliverable
and why it will take the amount of time you have allotted.
If you explain these details now,
your clients will push for any unrealistic deadlines,
because they'll understand just how much work is being done.
You should also set expectations for your deliverable review
process.
You have probably made some estimates
based on the amount of time your clients
will need to review your work as a team and provide feedback.
If you had conversations with your clients
early in the process, you know how much time they'll need.
This is your chance to point back to that conversation
and tell them the timing is based on that discussion.
But if that is no longer the case,
now is the time to make adjustments.
Don't forget to point out dependencies.
If your client misses their deadline,
what will that do to the project?
Where can you be flexible, and what makes you nervous?
Put it all on the table now and document it in meeting notes
so everyone is aware of the potential issues you're
spotting early on.
The more you can educate your clients early in the process,
the easier time your team will have a winning them
over when presenting your work.
After all, a client who is invested in
and truly understands your work is not just a client.
They're s partner.
It's never just about the work.
It's about the people doing the work.
Be sure to communicate the fact that the team has reviewed
the plan and mentioned some of the items you discuss
and how you arrived at those decisions.
There's a lot of value in showing your clients
the human side of your process and your team,
because it's often easy for them to think
of you is just a shop who just gets the work done.
They don't know all the details, and maybe they don't want to.
But if you share some details about who's doing what
and things they're working on, it
will help them to relate a little bit more.
And it wouldn't be a terrible idea
to set the expectation that a one day delay on your client
side may not equate to a one day delay on your side.
Letting your clients know that their plan is crafted
around other plans and projects can
help them understand the importance of sticking
to the dates and processes you've outlined.
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You've put a lot of work into creating this plan.
So talking through the details to make sure
that everyone is comfortable with it
should be pretty important to you.
If this means giving your client and team some extra time
to think things through on their own, that's fine.
Of course, you never want this process
to take so much time that it delays
any of the actual project work.
You can create the plan while work is underway, but don't let
it go unconfirmed for too long.
You want to be sure that you have an agreement,
because the details in your plan will dictate so much,
including your immediate next steps.
You've confirmed your plan, so now you're done with it, right?
Wrong.
You'll find your plan is a living, breathing thing.
At a minimum you should update the percent complete column
on your project on a daily or weekly basis.
The chance that you'll have to make adjustments here
or there pretty significant.
It's really uncommon for every project to stick to its planned
100%.
Life happens.
Ideas change.
Deadlines are missed, and plans change.
That may mean the deadline has to shift,
or maybe your process will work for this project anymore.
As long as your flexible and can adapt
to the revolving door of changes,
so can your project plan.
Be sure to provide updates to your team and your clients
as plans change or stay on track.
And keep your plan in accessible place.
You'll always come out on top if you've communicated or resolved
an issue early on or even just paid a compliment
on a job well done.
This was just a brief excerpt from TeamGantt's Guide
to Project Planning, written by Digital Project Management
Consultant Writer and Speaker, Brett Harned.
Brett focusing on solving issues that
are important to organizations who
want to produce quality digital projects in harmony.
Click the link in the description
to download the full guide for free
so you can plan your projects more efficiently than ever
before.
And if you like this video and want to see more,
don't forget to click the Like button
and subscribe to our channel.
Thanks.
See you next time.
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