Tuesday, April 13, 2010

What type of client are you dealing with?


Organisations, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. In order to communicate with them effectively you first need to understand what type of organisation they are. I like to map them on a scale of 1-5 from 'creative' at one end to 'corporate' at the other. 
An organization that is highly creative is more likely to be open to new ideas, interested in innovation, and flexible in their approach. Think of Richard Branson's Virgin Group.
A corporate style organization is more likely to be interested in systems and processes, hard facts, documented experience and formal language. Think of a typical government department.
Where you place your potential client will help determine the “tone” of your submission. No point in extolling your creativity if that scares off the fact/process - loving client!