The company writes:
These are partners who operate a sales led model, and see their clients as cash cow opportunities. These are partners who, despite claiming expertise in their field, will happily let the client - who has acknowledged their lack of expertise through the act of hiring said partner - guide the project towards what their client WANTS to do, rather than what is actually best for their business. These are partners who will gladly take their clients' money, delivering solutions that they know are not solving their requirements, only to reply when challenged with "Well we only did what you asked for". In short, they are expensive enablers, and they are giving the rest of us a bad name.
This is our single biggest frustration as a partner.
Clients who have hired a partner, provider or consultant, do so because they have recognised the need for external expertise or resources. They are trusting their chosen partner to use their integrity, wisdom, and experience to solve their problem and do what is best for the client's business. but this privilege is so often abused by sales driven partners who are focused on how best to secure a sale, regardless of what is best for their customer. Here is our advice for finding a trusted partner:
Beware the Yes Men
A sales led partner will sit in a discussion, listen to your requirements, and say "Yes, we can do that".
A solution led partner will listen to your requirements and seek to understand them: "Why do you want x? How will it help you? What is the big picture for your organisation and how is x supporting it?" A good partner will tell you that while what you want can be done, their expertise informs them that there is a better way to do it.
Your partner should apply their expert knowledge to recommend the best solution for your business, and that may not necessarily be what you've asked for. But that's the whole point of hiring a trusted adviser with expertise in the field: You don't know what you don't know, but they are dedicated experts who are committed to staying up to date in the latest technology, updates, and best practice improvements, so that they can offer you the best advice for your unique company.
During your initial discussion, your partner should be listening to your requirements and asking questions about them - If they promise you the moon without asking why you need it and how it fits into your business goals, then be wary. You should always insist that your salesperson is also a competent technician, who can assess and address your technical requirements on the spot.
Ask for Justification
If you are quoted a cost for your project that seems high, don't be afraid to ask why. If your partner is truly trustworthy and solution-focused then they will be more than happy to justify and explain their quote. Every project should deliver value and ROI that far outweighs the project cost, and a good consultant will readily work with you to create a cost benefits analysis that demonstrates this value.
At this point it is important to check that the proposed solution is in fact solving your initial problems. Many partners will reduce their quote to secure the contract, and in doing so will reduce the project's output. Often the cheaper project will only deliver temporary change that creates the illusion of progress, but that in reality will leave you in the same position two years down the line, with your problem still unsolved, and considerably out of pocket. The quoted project should clearly justify its own value, in terms of ROI, increased functionality, increased productivity, and long term savings, benefits and value.
I'm not by any means saying that you should simply see a large quote and accept it, but you should challenge your consultant to prove the value in their quoted project.
We at Business Cloud Integration are not yes men, and we make it out goal to deliver value in every single engagement with our clients, and we are very proud of that.
Contact us today to discuss your project requirements, or visit our website to learn more.
Business Cloud Integration Ltd offer Cloud, SharePoint and Office 365 consultancy in Cambridge, delivering solutions that increase company productivity, streamline and automate business processes, and simplify and enhance collaborative working.