Comments on: Scaring the shit out of clients http://stilgherrian.com/business/scaring_clients/ All publication is a political act. All communication is propaganda. All art is pornography. All business is personal. All hail Eris. Vive les poissons rouges sauvages! Sat, 19 May 2012 21:24:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Stilgherrian http://stilgherrian.com/business/scaring_clients/#comment-31943 Stilgherrian Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:11:01 +0000 http://stilgherrian.com/human-nature/scaring_clients/#comment-31943 Looking back at this post almost three years later, I notice that I didn't follow it up by saying how the client responded. They first told us informally that people had been "shocked" by the "tone" of our message. The "tone" was actually quite measured. We went to great lengths to avoid finger-pointing, using lots of softened phrases like "our concerns would be". I think what they really meant by this was that they expected the usual suck-up response to a tender, explaining how wonderful we were and how easily their clearly impossible demands would be met anyway. They never responded to our invitation to ask questions. They never even looked at any of the supporting material we provided, let alone explore our discussions on our intranet. When a week had gone by and they hadn't interacted with us, we politely told them we would not be tendering. Looking back at this post almost three years later, I notice that I didn’t follow it up by saying how the client responded.

They first told us informally that people had been “shocked” by the “tone” of our message. The “tone” was actually quite measured. We went to great lengths to avoid finger-pointing, using lots of softened phrases like “our concerns would be”. I think what they really meant by this was that they expected the usual suck-up response to a tender, explaining how wonderful we were and how easily their clearly impossible demands would be met anyway.

They never responded to our invitation to ask questions.

They never even looked at any of the supporting material we provided, let alone explore our discussions on our intranet.

When a week had gone by and they hadn’t interacted with us, we politely told them we would not be tendering.

]]> By: mpesce http://stilgherrian.com/business/scaring_clients/#comment-13654 mpesce Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:50:06 +0000 http://stilgherrian.com/human-nature/scaring_clients/#comment-13654 Zen master Stil, dispensing healthy doses of "grandmotherly kindness" on teh corporate front... Zen master Stil, dispensing healthy doses of “grandmotherly kindness” on teh corporate front…

]]> By: Stilgherrian · Being Real: more notes on radical transparency http://stilgherrian.com/business/scaring_clients/#comment-7433 Stilgherrian · Being Real: more notes on radical transparency Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:25:44 +0000 http://stilgherrian.com/human-nature/scaring_clients/#comment-7433 [...] section touches upon what I’ve been calling radical transparency — something which can shock clients more used to their suppliers spinning bull. The openness with which we communicate here is not [...] [...] section touches upon what I’ve been calling radical transparency — something which can shock clients more used to their suppliers spinning bull. The openness with which we communicate here is not [...]

]]> By: Stilgherrian http://stilgherrian.com/business/scaring_clients/#comment-7034 Stilgherrian Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:19:54 +0000 http://stilgherrian.com/human-nature/scaring_clients/#comment-7034 <strong>@Fiona:</strong> You're spot on when you say "what ppl don't like are those who try and make out that they're better than others". My colleague and I re-read our message just now, and we didn't attack any person or persons. It was all about the process and the project. In the unofficial responses we've received so far, people have said they were shocked. "We all found the tone of the email disconcerting," said one. But no-one asked us to explain any of the issues we raised, and no-one logged into our intranet to read our notes. @Fiona: You’re spot on when you say “what ppl don’t like are those who try and make out that they’re better than others”.

My colleague and I re-read our message just now, and we didn’t attack any person or persons. It was all about the process and the project.

In the unofficial responses we’ve received so far, people have said they were shocked. “We all found the tone of the email disconcerting,” said one. But no-one asked us to explain any of the issues we raised, and no-one logged into our intranet to read our notes.

]]> By: Fiona http://stilgherrian.com/business/scaring_clients/#comment-7029 Fiona Thu, 12 Jul 2007 02:40:56 +0000 http://stilgherrian.com/human-nature/scaring_clients/#comment-7029 i don't think what you said is scary or unusually direct at all. everyone i know in the business world speaks just like this. what ppl don't like are those who try and make out that they're better than others and that's why sometimes terms are couched or phrases are made to be more diplomatic. remember, ppl can't afford to sabotage relationships. i don’t think what you said is scary or unusually direct at all. everyone i know in the business world speaks just like this. what ppl don’t like are those who try and make out that they’re better than others and that’s why sometimes terms are couched or phrases are made to be more diplomatic. remember, ppl can’t afford to sabotage relationships.

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