How to justify your recommendation?Lukasz Karwacki
CEO at Sunscrapers
What frustrates professionals?
• low quality • low impact on the project • projects that die
Secret: It’s not always client’s fault!
Who to blame, then?
• (rarely) client’s personal traits • outside circumstances • our inability to justify a recommendation
Lesson: It’s in our best interest to learn how to
justify our recommendations effectively!
1. Get involved in finding a solution
Bad: ‘OK, I’ll do it.’
2. Communicate
Bad: ‘I won’t do it. It’s a stupid idea.’
2. Communicate
Bad: ‘You don’t know programming. Trust me.’
2. Communicate
Better: ‘Let me explain the technicals…’
3. Present benefits
Good: ‘The custom solution will need more cross-browser testing…’
3. Present benefits (our POV)
Good: ‘The custom solution will need more cross-browser testing…’
3. Present benefits (client’s POV)
Better: ‘The custom solution will cost significantly more than the value it
provides…’
4. Provide options
Good: ‘Maybe SomeLibrary then?’
General rules:
1. get involved 2. communicate 3. present benefits (from client’s POV) 4. provide options