Throughout the series of articles, How much is Geomarketing worth, How much does a Geomarketing platform cost And the Reference table for Geomarketing values, we cover several aspects of the Consultant-Client relationship.
In order to provide maximum perspective in this career, one area remains to be explored, which is customer service management.
Negotiation
People don't wake up and decide to order Geomarketing studies, they do it for a reason.
But this reason may not be solvable by the study or may need reformulation to fit the possible expectations to be met.
Reasons that lead a company to seek a Geomarketing study
1 - I want to open more stores 🏘
This is the most common, it may seem obvious, but it has subtleties.
What are the expectations for more stores?
It may be to improve the bargaining position with suppliers, larger networks negotiate better.
The expansion of a competitor may have triggered this desire.
It makes a huge difference whether the stores are their own or franchises, since the expansion through franchises generates cash for the company, while through its own stores it requires investments.
Is there any target place for this desire to open more stores?
2 - The size of this expansion 🌎
It can be quantitative or proportional.
A chain with 4 stores that will open two more will have grown 50%.
A chain with 40 stores that will open 10 more will have grown 25%.
Who defined this objective and why?
Was it a top management goal or self-imposed by the owner?
There is some implicit objective, such as growing to be sold, not allowing a competitor to jump in the store ranking.
3 - Whether other expansion attempts were made 😣
Let's go back to #Lição 2 of How much is Geomarketing worth: The school of life is always expensive.
A company that has tried and failed can learn the value of doing studies correctly.
Maybe she tried some other way and was frustrated.
Who decided on the previous process and what made them change their approach?
What were the main problems of the previous process?
4 - Consequences if expansion objectives are not met 😓
Failing to achieve senior management goals can cost employment, just as achieving them can result in a generous bonus.
Is the goal of opening new stores associated with any countergoal, such as opening stores that reach sales every so many months, or is it open?
These subjective conditions reveal important angles that the project may follow.
5 - Are you talking to whoever decides? 🧠
There is a great risk in gathering these answers without talking to those who have the decision-making power.
Those who made the wrong choice are more impacted by the mistake than someone who was there but was not the protagonist.
This is because you are collecting the lessons learned so far to precisely present your work format and validate that it meets expectations.
People tend to create excuses for themselves that hide real factors, such as pressure from a competitor, someone doing a better job, a frayed brand, and unrealistic goals.
Beware of conversations that go nowhere or with those who have no power or influence in the decision.
Especially for Consultants, time is the main resource and must be used very wisely.
Business Proposals
With the negotiation steps progressing well, you will be asked to prepare a proposal.
A good proposal makes it clear what the project is and what it is not, as in the popular saying “the combination is not expensive”.
Describe the reason why the client sought the Consultancy and what response was designed for their needs.
If the first proposal was a larger initiative, but at the client's request converted into a simpler scope, leave this on record.
Timeline
The importance of the schedule as a resource for aligning expectations and the size of the work.
Someone who expects an Expansion Study and sees a one-week schedule already understands that something is wrong.
Or when we combine a quick assessment and the schedule points to three weeks, it's also clear that it needs to align.
Demanding the customer.
The project foresees that the customer must provide their sales databases by store in the last three months.
In practice, the customer has three separate bases, one for sales, another for stores, and another bank where historical data is stored.
Whenever possible, try to validate the availability of the bases, ask for samples and talk to the person who will provide you with the information.
Delays at this stage usually ruin schedules and then there's no use blaming the customer.
The deliverables
In the description of the deliveries, leave links to model projects in a similar format.
The clearer the customer's notion of delivery, the better.
Forms of payment
There is the famous 50% on down payment and 50% on delivery.
There is a break in three parts:
- Project execution costs ~ 40%
- Intermediate performance share ~ 30%
- Final delivery installment ~ 30%
The rationale behind this fractionation is to protect your costs at the start of the project, to guarantee an extra payment if the project is late, and to leave a premium installment for the final delivery.
Legal conditions
Rules that must be included in your Business Proposal or Contract.
Intellectual property
Example:
This Agreement will not grant any Party the right to own or use the other Party's trademarks or trade names.
Confidentiality
Example:
The disclosure and/or reproduction, in part or in full, of any information obtained as a result of the Services subject to this Agreement may only be made with the prior written authorization of the other Party. In the event that any information related to this Agreement is disclosed and is likely to cause harm to either Party, the party causing the disclosure must compensate the other for the losses and damages suffered
Ownership of the materials resulting from the consulting work.
Example:
All results obtained as a result of this Agreement, including but not limited to documents, projects, drawings, plans, models, reports, calculations, spreadsheets and any other titles and intellectual property rights in any way resulting from or related to the Services performed, developed, generated, improved, adapted, issued or executed by the CONTRACTOR (hereinafter referred to as “Product”), will be considered the exclusive property of the CONTRACTOR, and the Product will only be considered the property of the CONTRACTOR after the full payment of the adjusted price between the parties.
Independence between the parties
Example:
The CONTRACTOR is independent of the CONTRACTOR. This Agreement does not authorize either Party to assume any obligation on behalf of the other Party. Nothing in this Agreement shall be interpreted as an association, partnership, employment relationship or commercial representation relationship between the CONTRACTOR and the CONTRACTOR.