The key questions to ask your client before proceeding.

Imagine this scenario: cold calling

“Hi, I’m from the Limestone Coast Environmental Authority. I got your name. We’re looking for a facilitator for our corporate planning day. Is he available?”

PRAYED:

“Hi, I’m the Director of IT. I’ve been told that you facilitate meetings. We need to get an agreement for our divisional contribution to the Corporate Strategic Plan. Can you help us?”

These calls always happen when you’re wrapped in a towel, calming down before a conflict resolution workshop or in the dentist’s waiting room. If you can’t concentrate, schedule a time to call back. The scouts were right when they said: “Get ready!”

starting

Most customers don’t call if they have the skills in their team to solve the problem. They are often under pressure and may not have had a chance to discuss the problem with anyone. Listen well, reflect and be generous!

From the beginning you are building a relationship. If you don’t win this job, the client will remember that he was engaged and interested.

Build a trustworthy hiring process that will help you ask the right questions and find out what’s going on.

A basic set of questions to ask should include the following:

1. What is driving the decision to do this workshop now?? (Listen to the response. Is there a strategic need; a desire from the client to resolve a pending problem, or perhaps a requirement to fund an agency? It is important to know what is driving the problem.)
2. Who will be involved? (Are there decision makers, key stakeholders and/or participants with a questioned view of the problem?)
3. Has this group discussed these issues before? How long? What was the results? (Request reports from previous workshops)
4. What are your expectations about a report? (How many details will be required? Who is the target audience?)
5. What is the budget? (If the client asks about your rates, offer to submit a quote once you’ve calculated how much work is involved.)
6. What would a successful outcome look like? (Listen well. This will help frame the Purpose, Outcome and Process)
7. Is there anything else you need to tell me about this problem? (Such as political situation, stakeholder group, conflict between participants, etc.)

Before starting the workshop

Clients who regularly work with facilitators give direct answers to these questions. Others may need to explore the issues with you. They may not know how to get there, but they usually know what they want.

Resist the temptation to accept a process before you are clear about the purpose and outcome.

Your client will also have questions. They will want to know that you have the skill and confidence to do this job. Explain how you have tackled similar problems; ask them if they would like a project brief with examples of past work and the name and contact of a past client.

If the scope of the project is out of your reach, consider collaborating with a colleague who has worked in the field. If you need help discussing your process design, use FIC’s online forum.

Clarify

If the alarms are ringing and you feel dizzy, it’s time to test your assumptions!

This is where you need all your awareness as a facilitator. If you think there may be a disconnect between the client and the stakeholders, ask if you can meet with some key stakeholders and test your assumptions.

When there is no client/facilitator combination, it can suggest that you are not the best person for the job.

I do this when…

• I feel that my core values ​​do not match those of the client;

• It is a one-off job that requires days of preparation at my expense;

• It has the potential to stress me out to the point where I can’t keep up with my regular customers.

Trust your gut, it works for you as a facilitator and it will work for you with clients.