Dissecting the Project Kickoff Call: The Importance of Skype, Birthday Cake, and Building Partnerships

It’s 11am on a Tuesday, and along with Paul Fleming V.P. of Internet Marketing, I’ve just completed a kickoff call with a great new client (in this case New Jersey’s Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, & Davis LLP – a top full service law firm – along with their communications firm the Munroe Agency).  The contract was signed, the intake form processed, and now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and collectively get to work.  What should we make sure to walk away from this all-important “kick-off” meeting?  I think it’s three things:

1.     A personal relationship with the key contacts – in this case it meant establishing who the various contacts were, how active they were to be involved in the project, and how each person liked to communicate (in this case: email, skype, and scheduled phone calls).   My job, as a Senior Project Manager, is essentially to help things get done on time, up to quality, and per the specs and budget of the contract’s scope.  It’s also critical that I make sure everyone feels like their expectations were met.  There is no better time to gauge these expectations than on a kickoff call, and establishing a trusting relationship is the most critical step.  More on that in another post!

2.     A mutual understanding of “the process” – even though it sounds simple enough, this can be a tricky one.  At Dinkum our process can be summed up in four steps: research, onsite implementation, offsite promotion, and reporting/ongoing.  However, each client is different and the process does tend to vary as the opportunities are uncovered, so setting up expectations regarding the project’s flow during a kick-off call can be difficult.

For example, a recent new client’s research (Voxel.net – a major dedicated server and cloud computing technology company in New York City) was moving along fine, but not confidently enough for us to move to implementation.  Something was missing. So, Dinkum expanded our research phase to include a day “talking shop” at their NYC location.  Birthday cake was served (red velvet) and as a result, a highly detailed and nuanced online marketing plan emerged.

Even if the process doesn’t stay exactly the same each time, make sure during the first meeting to to paint the big picture, point out the common points for communication and feedback, and give the client confidence that at all times they will be aware and involved in the process.

3.     A firm date for the next communication – even if it takes you a few minutes to coordinate, a followup conversation must be planned.  At Dinkum, we see projects as only one thing: partnerships.  It really does take two to tango when it comes to online marketing and SEO.  Setting a date for the next rallying point shows commitment from all the key players to collaborate in real time.  While all the work can’t be done during meetings and conference calls, it’s one of the few times during which that partnership can be evaluated and reinforced.

After the call is over I always decompress for a few minutes with Paul, Regina, Rick, Marilyn, or other team members.  This helps us come together as a team and dive with fresh energy into the client’s goals, internalize their expectations, align behind a common process, and get started on executing their web strategy through SEO, social media, email marketing, and other internal marketing activities.

Jacob Smith is a Senior Project Manager and Web Strategist with Dinkum Interactive and has led over 150 high-level consulting and website development projects over the last 10 years. He is active in both the internet and cultural communities, and served on the board of Philly Car Share, a nonprofit and one of the largest car sharing organization in the United States until helping engineer its sale to Enterprise Holdings in the summer of 2011. Originally from Southern California, Jacob and his wife, Meghan, now live in Center City Philadelphia with their young sons Rory and Duncan.