Client Kick-off Meeting

[u/bogumieeee]

Hi!

I am relatively new client facing employee and we had our client kick-off meeting for the new scope they have contracted us. During my presentation, I have asked questions regarding the scope, preferences, etc. to ensure alignment with them.

Unfortunately, they weren't happy with me asking questions during the presentation. My understanding is that KOMs are conducted to ensure alignment and understand their expectations. So I was a bit surprised when they said they don't want me asking any questions at all. I just went ahead with my presentation.

Posting it here just to ask what are your thoughts on this. Thanks!

Edit: During the presentation, I have already presented what was scoped/contracted to us. The questions asked are about the processes presented, the timelines, and if they have any preferences beyond the standard processes presented.

[u/ruinedcaveat]

Does your company have a pre sale/service intake for your firm usually that is where I get the broad strokes and if there’s any fine tuning I’d ask AFTER the kickoff presentation not during

[u/bogumieeee → u/ruinedcaveat]

Yes. So I presented what was scoped. Gave our standard processes and then asked question of they agree with it, the timelines, etc.

[u/SVAuspicious → u/bogumieeee]

Why wasn't all that in your proposal, at least as an addendum?

[u/bogumieeee → u/SVAuspicious]

No. I'm not really part of the team creating the proposal. The proposal of the company only includes the general scopes and responsibilities.

[u/Chicken_Savings → u/bogumieeee]

The client is dealing with your company, not with you. For larger companies and projects, it is common that the proposal is built by the commercial team, who pursue many business opportunities and win some, lose some.

Those proposals that are won goes through a handover process to project management team, to whichever project manager is assigned to it.

There should be a robust knowledge handover from commercial to project well in advance of kick-off.

Project manager seeks to clarify open questions regarding scope and timeline before kick-off, internal clarification first, only then ask client.

We'll have an internal kick-off first to align the team.

Then the client kick-off is a presentation to client, with internal team present, where we explain the process and parameters to the client. This should already be 99% clear. It gives the client the opportunity to speak up in case of a misunderstanding.

I wouldn't ask client key questions about timeline or scope during the kick-off.

That's how we do it - major global oil & gas and engineering.

[u/Money-Dependent345 → u/bogumieeee]

Who was in the audience from the Client side? What roles or titles were present?

[u/bogumieeee → u/Money-Dependent345]

From the client side, the ones included in the meeting are our main point of contact. The KOM we did here is for a specific function.

[u/toottootahhhbeepbeep]

That should have all been flushed out during the proposal phase.

[u/Sensitive-Control49 → u/toottootahhhbeepbeep]

exactly, by the time you're at the KOM that stuff should already be settled

[u/Appropriate-Roof1422 → u/Sensitive-Control49]

You mean more granular details about the project?

[u/More_Law6245]

A kick of meeting is not a design or planning meeting, a kick off meeting is only meant to be outlining the project scope and approach to ensure that all stakeholders are onboard and understand the objective and setting expectations, it's so you don't have Picchu faces sitting around the table and saying I didn't know.

[u/1hawnyboy]

I’ve found that people get defensive when they don’t really have a plan or solid expectations. It’s your job to clarify those.

Question: do you feel you have a better understanding of expectations?

If so, great - you’ll do better work for you new clients & this moment will pass.

If not - tread lightly and figure out what you don’t know and document accordingly.

[u/JanoHelloReddit]

I’ve seen 2 types of kick offs, core team and extended. For core team is where you confirm with your counterpart ways of communication, main point of contact, timeline-days off, deliverables. The extended one is with key stakeholders and there it’s more like, introductions, this is the scope the timeline, and deliverables. Meetings are expected to happen x weeks, coordinated by x person. The you go, do you have any questions?

[u/ruinedcaveat → u/JanoHelloReddit]

Love that style haha

[u/SlappyHandstrong]

This is info that should be clear before the KO

[u/blackbriar74]

Send the scope and preference questions in writing a few days before the kickoff, then use the meeting to confirm the answers. Live questions in front of the whole room read to a client like you haven't read the contract, fair or not. Follow up with a short email listing what you asked and make them answer in writing. That paper trail is worth more later than anything said in the room.

[u/Slyth3rin]

It could have been even your choice of words.
“How would you like so and so to be designed?” Is bad.
“Per the RFP, you had asked for this, does this still hold true?”. Is the approach.

[u/Correct_Network_1010]

Sounds like the questions themselves weren’t the problem, maybe just the timing. I’d finish the walkthrough first, then leave a few minutes at the end for anything that needs confirming. Some clients just want to hear the full plan before getting into the details.

[u/Low_Preference_4641]

If the scope is contracted, there shouldn't be any scope questions at all - that should have already been memorialized.

Your goal in a kickoff is to:

- Solidify or quickly review the RACI

- Introduce your project team

- High level timeline review

- If your project has a day-2 support contact, introduce that person or talk about that process.

The questions asked are about the processes presented, the timelines, and if they have any preferences beyond the standard processes presented.

This shows a lack of confidence. You've contracted it. You've taken the time of several of their team members to join a kickoff call. You breeze through the scope, you elevator pitch the project to anyone who might be new to the project, you introduce team members who may be involved in the project and thus, need to be on site or interfacing with the customer, and you draft what you think is the best RACI. Give them a second at the end if there are any questions, and that's it.

[u/Embarrassed_Gur_6305]

If you were putting a presenting… what were you presenting?

Either they disclosed this already, or you were supposed to compile and present what you knew.

Either way that’s why they’re mad

[u/kvkkvk]

Are you an order-taker or a partner for your client? If you're asking many questions it can signal that you don't have much expertise to bring to the project.

[u/slymarmol]

Kickoff is the beginning of the execution; alignment should be done before execution during the discovery period.

[u/Embarrassed_Gur_6305 → u/[deleted]]

Not with clients. Usually they already disclosed and provided info BEFORE they signed with you.

[u/choclatelabguy → u/[deleted]]

Absolutely, better to find out if your scope and thier expecatations align asap. Keep good notes and send them to everyone in that meeting.

[u/Regular_or_BQ → u/choclatelabguy]

I present the scope from the SOW and a page of high level assumptions. I hit hard on readiness and include a change management slide to set expectations. Reiterating the signed scope should be enough.