Responding to enquiries
When we receive an enquiry from a potential client, we want to be able to make an initial evaluation on whether to work with them as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Typically one person will gather the information necessary to make the evaluation before discuss it with someone else and then making the decision on whether to pursue the work.
Start by filling in the evaluation template.
Note: if the enquiry is very obviously not the right fit, then it is OK to short cut this process and just send an email politely declining the work.
Evaluation template.
The following template is split into an initial set of informational questions followed by a more subjective evaluation of the 'alignment' of the enquiry.
Add this template to an issue in https://lab.3sd.io/business/proposals/ fill it in, adding links to sources where appropriate, and then discuss with a colleague.
Aside from the organisation's website and annual reports, etc. you might find the the Charity Commission and Companies House useful sources of information when filling in the template.
### Key contact(s)
- Name:
- Job title:
- Email:
- Phone:
### About the organisation
- Name:
- Website:
- Location:
- Charity number:
- Company number:
- Turnover:
- Number of staff (total and FTE):
- Number of volunteers (total and FTE):
- Mission:
- Audience:
- Geographical focus:
### About the project
- Project aims:
- Nature of work: *implementation, training, hosting, development, R&D, etc.*
- Existing solution:
- Timescale/deadlines:
- Budget:
### Use of CiviCRM?
*For existing CiviCRM users*
- What business processes does CiviCRM support?
- Who has admin access to the system?
- How do end users interact with the system?
- What components and extensions do they use?
- Is there any custom code?
- What version of CiviCRM are they on?
- What CMS do they use?
- Who currently provides support?
- Where is it hosted?
### How did they hear about us?
_Word of mouth / CiviCRM website / 3SD website / Third party directory (which?) / Other_
### Alignment
*For each of the headings below, give a brief commentary and a score out of 10.*
**Good cause**
Are they a non profit or similar? Do we agree as a team that this would be a good cause to work for? (this is obviously highly subjective)
**Impact of work**
Will the work we do have an impact outside the immediate project? For example will it result in a new extension, allow us to contribute to core, do some interesting R&D or might it lead to more work in a particular sector, or help the non profit technology ecosystem in some way?
**Technical alignment**
Can we use our preferred toolkit? Or would it involve using tools that we are not familiar with or keen on.
**Ambition, familiarity and excitement about CRM**
Do they seem excited about the project or CiviCRM or CRM in general? Do they have the right attitude? Would they 'get stuck in' and enjoy being part of the CiviCRM community?
**Staff team**
Do they have the right skills? Do they seem well organised and would they be good to work with or does the organisation seem dysfunctional, badly organised, confused, etc? How big is their internal tech team? What is general level of tech confidence?
**Size and budget**
Is this a large project that we could get stuck into, or might it turn into one? Do they have the budget to fund a lot of work, or is it likely only a small project both initially and over time, and perhaps not worth the overhead.
**Easy**
Will the work be easy to do? Is it something that we have done before and will it be easy to execute?
**Likelihood of securing work**
How likely are we to get the work? Is it a competitive process? Are they speaking with lots of other providers, is there a convoluted tender process? Will it take a lot of time to apply?
Making the decision
Once you have filled in the template, assign it to someone else for review and discussion.
There are no hard and fast rules on deciding whether to pursue an enquiry. There are no winning scores or thresholds to reach. As well as the answers to the initial evaluation, the decision will likely depend on other factors such as our capacity to take on new work.
Next steps
If we decide to follow the opportunity, follow the proposal process for new clients.
Declining work
If we decide not to follow the opportunity, respond politely to their initial enquiry, optionally explaining why it is not a good fit for us, and optionally recommending other providers that might be suitable.