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!

The challenge

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

Thank you @cadzik