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You're facing a client who keeps asking for more features. How do you handle their constant demands?

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When you're in management consulting, clients with ever-expanding feature requests can be a challenging part of the job. It's essential to balance client satisfaction with project feasibility. As a consultant, your role often involves navigating these demands while ensuring that the project remains on track and within budget. If you find yourself in this situation, remember that clear communication and setting boundaries are key. Let's explore how you can handle a client's constant requests for additional features without compromising the project's success or your professional relationship.

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Abdulla Ahmed Alkaabi

Senior Director of Technology Consulting at PwC Middle East | Project Management | Thought Leader in AI | OSINT |…
Piyush Malik

LinkedIN TopVoice 2023 | Data, AppliedAI, Technology & Strategy | CXO | BOD Advisor | Entrepreneur | Analytics | Cloud…
Arnab K.

Associate Principal - Strategy/Management Consulting/Commercial Analytics/Research Insights- IIM Gold Medalist -…

1 Assess Needs

Before agreeing to any new features, take the time to understand why your client is requesting them. Engage in a discussion to pinpoint the underlying business needs or problems they're trying to solve. This can help you determine if the additional features are essential or if there might be alternative solutions that are more viable. By aligning on the core objectives, you can provide more strategic advice and avoid unnecessary feature creep that can derail the project.

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Abdulla Ahmed Alkaabi

Senior Director of Technology Consulting at PwC Middle East | Project Management | Thought Leader in AI | OSINT | SIGINT | ML | NLP | Big Data | Foundational Models | Innovation | Digital Transformation
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From my experience, handling a client who constantly asks for more features requires a strategic approach. During a telecommunications project, we faced similar challenges.First, I assessed the client's needs to understand the underlying reasons for their requests. Setting clear boundaries was crucial; we defined the project scope early on and established a formal process for change requests, including potential costs and timelines. Offering alternatives helped balance their desires with feasibility. Clear and consistent communication kept the client informed and engaged, reducing misunderstandings. Prioritizing requests based on value and impact ensured we focused on what truly mattered keeping the project on track and the client satisfied

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2 Set Boundaries

It's critical to establish clear boundaries and manage expectations from the outset. Explain the implications of adding new features, such as increased costs, extended timelines, and potential risks to project quality. Use your expertise to guide your client towards prioritizing features that will deliver the most value. Be firm yet diplomatic, and ensure that any changes to the project scope are well-documented and agreed upon by all stakeholders.

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3 Offer Alternatives

When faced with feature demands, offering alternative solutions can be a win-win. If a feature request is not feasible, suggest other ways to achieve the desired outcome that are within scope and budget. This demonstrates your commitment to the project's success and your client's satisfaction, while also showcasing your problem-solving skills. Always aim to provide options that align with the project's strategic goals and offer the best return on investment.

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Harsh K.

MSc Management @University of Birmingham '2024
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Whenever such situations occur, it is important to establish a positive relationship with the client. Some of the demands can be met within the given timeframe, but then again, some might impact the overall quality and functions of the project. It is always better to suggest your clients with alternative solutions for the features that they ask to be added. and obviously what suits the best to their requirements and ease of doing things.

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4 Communicate Clearly

Effective communication is paramount when managing feature requests. Keep your client informed about the progress of the project and the impact of their requests. Use visual aids, such as project timelines or feature roadmaps, to illustrate how additional features fit into the bigger picture. By maintaining transparency and open lines of communication, you can foster trust and reduce misunderstandings that could lead to conflict or dissatisfaction.

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Piyush Malik

LinkedIN TopVoice 2023 | Data, AppliedAI, Technology & Strategy | CXO | BOD Advisor | Entrepreneur | Analytics | Cloud | Do click ?? to be notified of my latest posts
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Can't emphasize enough the need for clarity and transparency in communication to manage scope creep. As someone who has spent the better part of the past couple of decades in the management consulting industry, client needs have driven my daily agenda. However juggling multiple clients, competing priorities and pressures of delivering and team management can take a toll on stress levels at individual as well as team level if feature requests from different clients are not tracked, communicated and scope changes properly documented to determine financial impacts and signed off appropriately

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5 Prioritize Wisely

Prioritization is a powerful tool in your arsenal. Work with your client to rank feature requests based on their importance and urgency. This helps to focus on what's truly necessary for the project's success and what can be deferred or excluded. Encourage your client to consider the long-term strategy and how each feature contributes to achieving their business goals. Prioritizing effectively ensures that resources are allocated in the most impactful way.

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6 Review Regularly

Regularly review the project scope and feature list with your client. This not only keeps the project on track but also provides opportunities to reassess priorities and make adjustments as needed. Use these reviews as a chance to celebrate milestones achieved and to reinforce the value of completed work. This ongoing dialogue helps manage expectations and keeps your client engaged in the decision-making process, reducing the likelihood of last-minute feature requests.

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Piyush Malik

LinkedIN TopVoice 2023 | Data, AppliedAI, Technology & Strategy | CXO | BOD Advisor | Entrepreneur | Analytics | Cloud | Do click ?? to be notified of my latest posts
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Period reviews should be on the calendar with stakeholders. It's very important to maintain the cadence otherwise the schedule and scope can go haywire especially in high risk engagements such as those dealing with the core business of the client. Let me share a couple of real life relevant experiences: 1. At a big 4 management firm years ago we used to have internal reviews as well as stakeholder reviews on a weekly basis . 2. More recently for a startup client we have started having daily quick check ins while maintaining a formal review with business & IT stakeholders on every other week basis.

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Arnab K.

Associate Principal - Strategy/Management Consulting/Commercial Analytics/Research Insights- IIM Gold Medalist - LinkedIn Top Management Consulting Voice-Apr’24
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If client asks for more features, you can handle demands: 1. Understand needs and prioritise features based on business context 2. Offer alternative solutions and manage expectations 3. Communicate/collaborate frequently and adapt continuously

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You're facing a client who keeps asking for more features. How do you handle their constant demands?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess Needs

2 Set Boundaries

3 Offer Alternatives

4 Communicate Clearly

5 Prioritize Wisely

6 Review Regularly

Management Consulting

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You're facing a client who keeps asking for more features. How do you handle their constant demands?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess Needs

2 Set Boundaries

3 Offer Alternatives

4 Communicate Clearly

5 Prioritize Wisely

6 Review Regularly

Management Consulting

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