Confessions of a (Former) IT Scoundrel

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By not drawing a line in the sand and insisting on a more qualified employee to work with, I failed that client, too. Want your project to be successful? Make sure you've got the right person on the mound. Having learned my lesson, I'll do my best to warn you if he's not.

4. I'd rarely commit.

I dated my wife for seven years before she finally proposed. It wasn't exactly a proposal. She told me to you-know-what or get off the you-know-what. I used to conduct myself the same way with clients.

They would ask me to commit to a fee, and I'd hem and haw. I'd whine that there are too many variables, too many question marks. At best, I'd give a wide estimate ("Gee, that should take between 50 and 892 hours"). Maybe this was because I had been burned many times before by unexpected complications beyond my control.

I've come to realize that I was doing my clients a big disservice by refusing to commit to a fixed price on projects. How could a client have confidence in me if I didn't have the confidence in me? This nagged at me. Just like my wife. Now I've learned to make commitments. I give firm estimates. I put my skin in the game.

5. I said yes too quickly.

John, a manager at an engineering consulting firm, asked me early in the process of reviewing a CRM application if the software "synchronizes with my BlackBerry contacts." I said, "Of course." He was happy with my response. I was happy that he was happy.

As it turned out, the software did sync this contact info—only not the contact info he was talking about. He had created certain user fields that were very important to him, and they did not transfer over. Needless to say, John was not happy. I, therefore, was not happy.

John's not an expert at CRM software. I was supposed to be the expert. I was supposed to dig deep, ask the tough questions, get the details. In the heat of trying to get the sale, I didn't really dig deep enough. Important stuff was glossed over. I naively assumed too much and brushed aside important questions. And by doing this, I failed John. We no longer work together.

Now when clients ask about features and functionality, I try my best to show, show, show. I've learned that I can't read people's minds. And saying yes all the time can build unrealistic expectations. It all catches up with you in the end.

Are you still, after reading this, interested in buying technology services from a firm like mine? I know I've failed some clients in the past. But I've learned. And at least now you know what questions to ask.

Gene Marks, CPA, is the owner of the Marks Group, which sells customer relationship, service, and financial management tools to small and midsize businesses. Marks is the author of four best-selling small business books and writes the popular "Penny Pincher's Almanac" syndicated column. He frequently speaks to business groups on penny-pinching topics. More penny-pinching advice from Marks can be found at www.quickerbetterwiser.com.