Ask for Context
Written on Friday, November 28, 2008 by Siddharth PV
Lets get one thing straight at the very outset -
No matter what document you make and send to the client - you are always selling.
That document might be the last thing you ever send / say to the client - albeit in the written form.
So, it better be the best thing that you could have possibly said.
And to come up with that 'BEST' thing that will appeal to the client / final reader - you need to be very sure of the context.
1. Why are u sending what you are sending?
i.e. What's the purpose? What's the objective?
What is that one thing that you want to achieve?
2. What message do you want to convey through that doc?
Come to think of it - at the end of the whole thing - if you say -
'I wish I had done this better' - it is totally not worth it.
You wasted an opportunity. You wasted your time.
Now - how will you be able to answer all the above questions?
Only if you know the context really well.
So, whenever you start any work - ask for the context / brief
And context would include (and not be limited to) -
- Info about the client
- Client's Background - Is he a technocrat? Does he understand your product? That tells you to what extent do you need to explain to him your product
- Company Background
- What conversation have we had so far?
- Were any pain points mentioned?
.
.
PS : This applies to life in general. Come to think of it. You are always selling.
If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to our feed
Posts
