Pitching Scrum to Microsoft Customers

#81. Gustaf Westerlund CIO and founder at CRM-Konsulterna asks, "How can we get customers to really understand that an agile approach is best for them?"

Agile is built on trust. Trust that the developing partner will do their best. But if the customer has been burned many times before, this can be hard to gain. And half-hearted trust becomes half-hearted agile."

I dive into the detail and expand on my top three tips:

Know Scrum - get your business development team members trained as well as your delivery team because they’re the people your customers will meet first.

Know Your Customer - if you can, find out their preconceptions and adjust your message either based on their predisposition or their role

Know the Benefits - some of the benefits are better software, earlier value, higher ROI and shorter payback, higher user satisfaction, greater transparency, more efficient capital allocation, lower risk, more customer control over scope, more collaborative way of working and greater professional rewards. Cherry-pick whichever of those benefits you think will resonate with whoever you’re talking to.

Resources:

• Gustaf Westerlund on LinkedIn
• CRM-Konsulterna on LinkedIn
• Scrum.org
• Customery Academy
• Amazing Applications podcast page on LinkedIn
• Amazing Applications podcast page on Podchaser
• Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps online course at Customery Academy
• Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps free online mini-course at Customery Academy

CONNECT
🌏 Amazing Applications
🟦 Customery on LinkedIn
🟦 Neil Benson on LinkedIn

MY ONLINE COURSES
🚀 Agile Foundations for Microsoft Business Apps
🏉 Scrum for Microsoft Business Apps
📐 Estimating Business Apps

Keep sprinting 🏃‍♂️
-Neil