Management - Do you maintain verbal contact with your client?

Last updated by Billy Terblanche [SSW] over 1 year ago.See history

With the convenience and cost-effectiveness of email, it is tempting to rely on emails for all client contact. Don't forget that clients are people too, and they need human interaction to ensure everything is OK. So it is essential that you maintain verbal contact before, during, and after a project.

Avoid going more than 3 days without a phone call to your client.

Set the expectations early. Let the client know what to expect in terms of communication. For example:

"Hi Bob,

We will run your project using Scrum. Expect emails and phone calls that we need responses to:

  • Planning - we will agree on a Sprint Plan at the beginning of each Sprint
  • Every morning - expect a Daily Scrum meeting or video call with a list of tasks the developers will be working on that day
  • Every time a task is done - you will get an email with information about what was done, often including screenshots and code snippets"

If you use the phone instead of email when it is appropriate, you maintain an open channel of verbal communication with your client. This helps to break down communication barriers, lets the client know that you are friendly and involved, and makes them feel confident in your ability to deliver the project.

New resources

If you are put onto an existing project, it is good practice to call the client and introduce yourself. For example:

"Hi Bob,

I'm Andrew. I'll be taking over from Mark on your project. Mark has filled me in on the specifics and I'm keen to get involved."

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