How do you make a project meet deadlines, budget and most importantly, exceed customer expectations?

Ran Feldman explains to us some of the secrets of the profession.

Most of the classic textbooks in the field of project management place great emphasis on formal management and management methodologies, and for some reason, hardly talk about informal management.

Technical professionalism and management methodologies are unquestionably necessary for the success of the project, but the informal part of project management is what makes the big difference, between buying customer loyalty over time and routine project management that will be forgotten even before completion.

The formal part of the project

The formal part of the project is made up of 4 parts:

1. Starting the project – the stage where we already have the project in hand and now need to start:
   1. building the project team
   1. understanding the customer’s history (if any)
   1. coordinating expectations with salespeople
   1. establishing organizational policies
   1. defining project boundaries.

• Project planning – Proper planning can guarantee us almost certain success in a project. At this stage we build the work plan, conduct internal meetings with the project team, manage risks, improve schedules and align with the client in the start-up meeting.

• Execution and control of the project – operating the project team according to the carefully planned work plan. Constant control by the project manager (status meetings, etc.) with the project team and of course with the client, where the goal is to sample and maximize performance at all times. If there are deviations, the situation should be corrected and returned to the track of success.

• Closing the project – the last stage of the project, including a summary and confirmation meeting that all project tasks have been completed and completed in full.

The informal part of the project – everything is personal.

If you manage to convey to the client the feeling that he is really – but really – important to you, that you will do everything for him, that you are a professional and there is no chance in the world that you will let the project fail, he will feel committed to you.

This, by the way, is important. There is nothing stronger than that.

Everything is personal and anyone who has ever told you otherwise either lied to you or has no basic idea, not only about business, but in how to run your life.

How to make the project more personal

• Arrive at least half an hour before each session, in order to break the ice and talk about topics that are not necessarily related to working. With in-person meetings, this would be in the coffee corner or smoking area (for those who smoke).

• The client must understand from the first meeting that the success of the project is very important to you and from that moment on, you are one team.

• Give the customer a sense that he is the main project you are managing by providing fast and quality service at any given time. It is important that he feels he can trust you with his eyes closed.

• Make it clear to the client that your goal as a project manager is to make him look good in front of his management and failure is really but really not an option.

• At least once a week talk to the client, especially on weeks there are no critical activities or activities at all.

• If there is work done during non-routine hours, if you drive to the site (although you do not always have added value there), the client will see attendance and caring. If it is a long activity it is advisable to organize a pizza tray or some other nightly refreshments for the team.

• Is there an unplanned fault (not on us) in the project? Forget everything! Concentrate on providing a fast, efficient and high-quality solution. Such a solution will make you gain the customer’s trust for a long time.

• At the end of the project, pamper the extended project team with lunch, it will leave a good taste in the mouth for the client and the project team.

Follow these tips, and you will see how each successful project brings you more and more customer loyalty.