Discover your client's main drivers

When giving a project presentation to a prospective client I sometimes start with an ice-breaker. One favourite method is to put an old joke on the screen:

 GOOD!

FAST!

CHEAP!

- choose two …

 … which usually gets a chuckle, even if only out of politeness.

Of course you are going to deliver on all three. However, there are two serious purposes behind this joke:

1. It initiates discussion to discover of the client’s main drivers for the project;
2. It is an indication of where you are likely to have to deploy most of your skill during the project. Think about it this way:

• If the client wants the project delivered quickly and cheaply then you are likely to spend a lot of effort on resolving quality issues.
• If they want a high quality project delivered quickly then financial control is going to be particularly important.
• If they want a quality project without spending a lot of money then you are going to have to be prepared to use some inventive shortcuts.