Why Should Your Agency Have a Qualification Process?

There may be certain times of the year when you feel like picking and choosing clients is a luxury. Maybe it’s a slow season or you’re just rolling out a new service.

The truth is, even if your digital project management load is looking a little sparse, your agency still benefits from having a qualification process for clients – and sticking with it. A project that meets your qualification is much more likely to have successful results, be completed in a timely manner and leave your team feeling satisfied with their work. Trying to make a bad fit project work means less time and resources available for projects that are actually viable.

A qualification process is simple. It’s a way of identifying who your ideal client is, whether you have the resources to help them and how successful you think your team will be if you take their pain points on.

Here’s what to ask yourself when determining whether a potential client is a good fit:

Does the client have a project that fits our target market?

To streamline your qualification process, you should outline your ideal client, the kind of problem they need solved and their price point. Some agencies specialize in certain industries or niche markets. Identifying these points beforehand makes it easier to determine if you can move forward with a client and will ultimately make digital project management smoother.

Do we have the resources to solve their problem?

As anyone in digital project management knows, undertaking a project really means you’re solving a client’s pain point. If you’re not convinced they have a genuine need for your agency’s services and that your team can pull it off, this might not be the right client. Alternately, it might not be the right time for you to take on that client. Trying to force a client’s needs to fit your process is just likely to result in a project with sloppy results that doesn’t satisfy your team or your client and is unlikely to result in repeat business.

Is their budget aligned with our fees?

Before you get too far into the proposal process, you want to make sure you and the client are aligned on what your agency’s fees are. No point putting time and energy into a proposal, only to find out just before close that their budget is wildly out of alignment with yours.

If you find a potential lead hesitant to be upfront about what they’re willing to pay, you can allude to your prices in more general terms. For example, “similar projects start at about $5,000 and can reach $20,000 depending on the complexity.” Setting a price point early on means it will be readily apparent whether this client has the budget for your services.

Who will make the final decision?

Sometimes the initial contact an agency hears from is not, in fact, the person who will make the final decision. You may be approached by someone in a junior position tasked with collecting quotes from a variety of agencies. Before you develop a proposal, make sure you know who the key players are in the decision making process and make contact with them.

Does the client seem like they would be a hassle?

As someone in digital project management, you likely know that sometimes the success of a project depends on the client. While it’s true that part of agency life is gracefully handling various personalities, you (and your team!) have a limit. A client who is consistently disorganized and unprepared, or who has an unclear vision of what they want, will slow down your project. A client who is unreasonable or belligerent might damage your team’s morale and make for a miserable digital project management experience.

If a client is difficult to deal with during the proposal or negotiation process, it might be time to walk away, no matter how much they’re willing to pay.

At the end of the day, having a consistent qualification process in place means you value yourself, your team and the effectiveness of your projects. To see how TaskBranch can help improve your project collaboration once you’ve qualified your next client, sign up for a free trial!