"Building Alliance With Clients: Keys to Success in Forecasting".
The article "Building Alliance With Clients: Keys to Success in Forecasting," in the Winter 2002-03 issue of The Journal of Business Forecasting, is about creating an alliance with clients before, during, and after forecasts to create a better relationship between clients and forecasters to avoid any problems that could potentially happen. The article follows a case history of a forecaster, David, in the pharmaceutical industry to show how this can be achieved.
The first thing that is discussed is the different perceptions and behavior styles between clients and forecasters by giving a detailed statement of how there is usually a different psychological make-up and emotion between the two groups. For example, the different internal and external perceptions between the two groups are the following: forecasters are critical, task-focused, and creative while marketers are quick to get involved, impulsive, and direct. By understanding the differences, forecasters are able to work better with their clients because they have realistic expectations and know each other's strength and weaknesses.
After discussing the differences between the two groups, the article stresses the importance of knowing how to show the client that forecasters are there to help, and not to criticize their work. In doing this, forecasters must build alliances. The first thing in building an alliance is earning their trust. An example of David is given about how earning his client's trust won him respect and was extremely rewarding. The article then states that although the up-front investment is high, the return on the investment is much greater.
The second thing to building the alliance is being a part of the team. The article feels that one of the worst things a forecaster could do is use the "you" word when talking to clients. It is looked at as a word that creates a line between the client and forecaster and gives the impression that the forecaster does not want to be apart of the team.
