| 1. | Plan weekly Client deliverables | - Start writing the Client update email on Monday and send it to the Client no later than Thursday.
- Keep track of the deliverables you promised to supply to your Client in your last email update.
- If possible, send the weekly update to your supervisor for review a day before the scheduled date of email update to the Client.
- Do not keep a weekly update for the last day of the week – the Client may get the impression his engagement is a low priority one for you.
- Be constantly in touch with your local team to obtain deliverables in time for client update. Do not wait until end of the week to liaise with them.
| - So you can visualize the end result.
- So you know what you need to get from the suppliers over the coming days.
- So you know at the beginning of the week what emails to send banks and governments and other third-parties.
- So you have enough time to make changes/updates before sending out the email to the Client.
- So managers have enough time to review.
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| 2. | Proof-read your email several times | - Proof-read it immediately after you draft it.
- Over the following days, critically review it again and again. Keep making it better and shorter.
- Double check that you have attached the correct documents/deliverables before sending email out.
- Do not rely on MS Word to correct your typos and grammatical mistakes.
| - Quality business English is key for the Client to trust in your abilities.
- A properly formatted email will convey to the Client that you are organized, and someone who can be relied upon.
- Quality email to the Client portrays a positive image of Healy Consultants Group.
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| 3. | Supply a deliverable every week | - To keep your Client on your side, weekly supply them deliverables.
- A list of some engagement deliverables is on this web page (click link).
- If no deliverable is due, and unless you have previously agreed with Client not to send an update that week, ensure to send a short update informing the Client of engagement status.
- Send a summary of your call in an email every time you have an important phone call with the Client.
| - To keep your Client happy as he sees engagement progress.
- To avoid long spells of noncommunication between you and Client.
- To avoid any miscommunication and misunderstanding between you and the Client.
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| 4. | Meet the 50-year old businessman’s expectations | - Typical personality type of our Client is here.
- He wants results as soon as practical.
- Know his business and what he wants.
- He does not want to repeat himself.
- Wants timely simple, practical, low cost solutions.
- He expects to be updated at least once a week.
- He expects the truth at all times - if you face a challenge or have committed an error, disclose it and recommend a solution.
- He wants to know a date when he can have corporate bank account numbers.
- He wants to know a date when he can legally conduct business in that country.
| - He wants certainty.
- This is the way he runs his business.
- He paid HC a lot of money, he expects timely results from you.
- The Client will be happy to pay additional fees if a solution is reasonable and helps him fast legally conduct business.
- Creates a good business rapport between you and the Client.
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| 5. | The weekly email is easy to follow | - Include a summary section at the top of the email, preferably in his native language.
- Include sub-headings to divide up email content.
- Font is consistent without bold (Arial 11 or 12).
- Each bullet point to be one sentence.
- Avoid repetition.
- Number of bullet points below 10.
- Attach updated engagement summary and project plan.
- Ensure weekly update follows the sequence from the previous three weeks. Delete older email trail so as to keep the mb size of email low.
| - Clients do not have the time to read long emails.
- Clients do not like to read weekly emails that look a copy paste of what they received in the previous week detailed engagement status update.
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| 6. | Know Client expectations | At the beginning of the engagement, agree with Client:- His preferred style of the weekly detailed engagement status updates.
- Does he want detailed emails or just summary information?
- Does he want a weekly update, or an update every two weeks?
- Does he want a phone call once a week or once a month?
- Does he prefer to communicate through WhatsApp/Skype/Zoom/Teams/Google Meet?
- Agree the month when he gets a certificate of incorporation.
- Agree the month when he gets multi-currency corporate bank account numbers.
- Agree the month when he can legally conduct business in that country.
| - You adapt to the communication methods and style preferred by the Client, instead of the Client adapting to our communication methods and style.
- Agreeing this upfront will save you time (maybe a detailed conference call and a short summary update will suffice for the Client).
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| 7. | Add an updated detailed project plan | - The document to list steps achieved and steps outstanding.
- The dates to agree with the timeframes listed in your updates.
- The document to cover all potential challenges you may face during an engagement, including those that you do not necessarily have space to describe in your weekly update.
- The document to include potential solutions for the challenges that may occur.
- The document to include the payment by instalment schedule (where applicable.
| - To make sure that you properly plan each step of the engagement.
- So you anticipate potential challenges and put mitigation strategies in place.
- An updated project plan serves as great learning material for future CROs.
- To give the Client a clear timeline for deliverables expectations.
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| 8. | Add an engagement summary | - So your Client and you are clear re deliverables supplied and outstanding.
- So your Client and you are clear on fees paid and fees outstanding.
- Most clients do not have time to go through the detailed project plan and rely on this document for status update.
| - To ensure your Client and you are on the same page.
- To ensure that your supervisors have a big picture view of the engagement.
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| 9. | Add a summary of contacted banks and status | - List all the banks contacted and their jurisdictions.
- Put the banks with positive feedback at the top of the table, followed by the ones pending feedback and then the rejected applications at the bottom.
- Include a status and a comments column in the table.
| - If the Client is not happy with the banks contacted you may need to adjust strategy.
- So you can always come back as proof of your work.
- So your Client and you are clear re which banks were contacted and their feedback, both positive or negative.
- So you Client is clear on the targeted jurisdictions and advise at an earlier stage if they are agreeable.
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