How to Create Win/Win Client and Safety Consultant Relationships – What a Consultant Should Know Part 2: Document Critical Communications
How to Create Win/Win Client and Safety Consultant Relationships – What a Consultant Should Know Part 1: Safety Consultant Value
March 9, 2021
How to Create Win/Win Client and Safety Consultant Relationships – What a Consultant Should Know Part 3: Safety Consulting Expertise, Do the Right Type of Work
April 14, 2021
Introduction
NOTE: This is part two of a four-part series discussing what health and safety consultants should know about client and consultant relationships. This blog is about safety consultant documentation and how health and safety consultants must document vital communications with their clients to safeguard mutually beneficial relationships.
As a health and safety consultant, especially if you are the firm's owner, you likely have many competing responsibilities, including managing client relationships, training, marketing, sales, IT, HR, etc. Oh, and you know you must do some work that generates enough revenue to cover your expenses and pay yourself some income so you can feed your family! With so many conflicting demands, it can be easy to lose focus on what matters – your clients. After all, a happy client equals a happy consultant (most of the time anyway!). If you want to keep your clients pleased, I believe you should think about how you document important conversations.
If you are a client you can also check out this article on why it is important client's document their consultant and project expectations.
Background
I have worked for consulting firms and industry (clients) in various health, safety, and environment (HSE) roles. I started my HSE career working for a smaller environmental consulting firm. For the past five years, I have been operating my consulting firm, Risk Defense Inc. I have worked with clients from education, logistics, IT, transportation, staffing, environmental engineering, occupational health, construction, and oil and gas. While working in industry, before starting up Risk Defense Inc., I also got an opportunity to do some consulting for a power generation and distribution company in the Caribbean.
I have also worked as an employee/client in the oil and gas (service and producer companies), agriculture, outdoor adventure, and construction industries. I share this because I have had some valuable insights from the past 15 years that I can share from both sides of the coin when working with clients and consultants.
Should I Document This?
While documenting important conversations may seem like unnecessary additional work (it can be tempting to do informal phone calls or coffees instead), this action will likely save you time and money in the long run. It is important to record what has been agreed upon and this can protect you from a failed business relationship and potential litigation. If you think you should document a conversation, then you probably should.
The following are three examples of conversations you should document:
- New project proposals including a description of the services to be provided
- Change work orders, including what is and what is not included
- Meetings, including but not limited to:
- Project kick-off meetings
- Progress and update meetings
- Project close-out meetings
Safety Consultant Documentation of Critical Conversations
Safety Consultant Documentation and Request for Proposal (RFP)
Clients commonly use Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to inform health and safety consultants about a project, what should be contained in a proposal for submission, and sometimes the decision criteria to help the consultant understand which metrics will be used by the client to make a final decision.
If an RFP has not been presented, send them a documented proposal anyway (even if it is just an email). Also, make sure in advance of preparing the proposal that you ask the client the right questions so that you clearly understand the project requirements. Both demonstrate professionalism, and the documentation may become a valuable tool in the event of a miscommunication or misunderstanding.
If you aren't sure how to write a proposal check out this article.
Ask Questions to Seek Clarity
It is easy to assume what the client wants, but when the assumption is off the mark, it is unlikely a health and safety consultant will land that job. Or if one gets the job, they are set up for failure as the two parties are on different pages. In terms of which questions to ask, it depends on the job, but here are some general questions that can be applied to most situations:
- Why is this project important to the organization?
- What problem does this project solve?
- What does project success look like?
- Which resources will be provided by the client (and how), and which will be provided by the consultant? Examples include computers, transportation, applications, company documentation, etc.
- What can I do to add even more value to this project? (click on the link above "How to Add More Value" for more information on this subject)
- Are there other outstanding needs for the organization (What keeps you up at night?) for which I might be able to assist?
It is better to ask questions sooner than later. Many times, answers will prompt further questions, which will help both parties understand what is required for a successful project. This is another opportunity to add value as the health and safety consultant may be in the position to make recommendations that can make the project even more successful. While these questions can be made over the phone, it would be better to either document them in an email or hold a meeting and document the conversation with meeting minutes (which can be sent out after the meeting for review, discussion, and agreement).
Proposals are a Form of Safety Consultant Documentation
After asking the right questions and collecting the right information, it is now time to write the proposal. This topic deserves its own blog but for today, let us keep it simple and high level. The proposal should clearly state:
- How the project will be completed, including process, timelines, and what a completed project looks like
- The scope of work
- Health and safety personnel experience relevant to the project
- Rate sheets (in case there is a need for a change order)
- Simple breakdown of costs either by phase of project or services provided
- Payment terms and invoicing
Conclusion
This blog explored safety consultant documentation of critical client conversations. Specifically, why it's crucial health and safety consultants document important conversations with clients, such as proposals, scope of work changes, recommendations, etc. If health and safety consultants understand the importance of documenting vital communications and that it should be a top priority, then a foundation has been set for a successful consultant and client win/win relationship. And again, if you are not sure whether or not you should document a conversation, then you probably should!
For more information on how to maximize client/health and safety consultant relationships and how this can benefit your company (or to discuss other ideas on how to take HSE at your company to the next level), please contact Risk Defense Inc. by filling out the contact form below.
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