CPD – Client Management

Client Management:

Behind every great project, is a great client… Or so the saying goes. And it might be a bit of a cliché, but it is true. But what is less often talked about is that behind any great client, is a great client-architect relationship, and great client management.

Client Management is key to the success of any project. It is critical to the design and delivery of any architectural project, and to the client’s satisfaction with the architectural process and the final built outcome. A positive client experience can help lead to referrals for future projects and help grow your business doing work that you love. On the other hand, a strained client relationship due to poor client management can lead to a hugely stressful process for all involved and even lead to a higher rate of project attrition.

We often hear that to be great architects, we need to not only be the highly trained and experienced practitioner; but also the therapist, or marriage counsellor, mediator, and key negotiator, in order to chaperone a project to its final completion. And yet many of us have very little – if any – formal training in these topics, and often have had to learn it ‘on-the-job’.

This CPD aims to provide some insights into this important topic from a broad range of industry experts; including : a professional negotiator & coach, an allied industry professional with extensive experienced in one-on-one negotiations with clients and councils and an experienced practitioner. Together we hope you will gain a broad insight into this complex and critical subject.

Speakers

• Allan Tsang (Negotiation Coach – 88 Owls)
• Lorenzo Rigoni (Director & Planning Consultant – Terrain Consulting)
• Kate McMahon (McMahon and Nerlich Architects)

ACCA COMPETENCY

Project Management/Delivery – the proficient, timely and cost-effective completion of an architectural project through all design and construction phases. Project Delivery must take into account the range of contractual obligations carried by architects, clients, consultants and contractors. Project Delivery involves the evaluation and implementation of procurement systems as well as appropriate contractual administration systems. The establishment and operation of project teams as well as formalising of project agreements (such as with client, team/s and contractor) is critical to competent project delivery.

Practice Management – The holistic understanding and organisation of the business and profession of architecture in relation to delivering projects. It involves the knowledge and execution of the processes involved in providing architectural services; the knowledge and implementation of appropriate systems to establish and maintain an architectural practice; and the knowledge and enactment of the broad range of ethical and legal obligations required of a Professional Practitioner.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:

• Obtain various insights from experienced professionals to improve client management skills
• Understand how client management skills can affect the success (or otherwise) of client-architect relationships and built outcomes, and what we can do to improve them
• Learn different strategies to determine the best client management approaches for specific project and personality types
• Learn how to manage client’s expectations
• Learn how to deal with particularly challenging clients
• Learn how to filter clients
• Learn key communication and negotiation skills for improved client management

$42.00 – $53.00