Untrusted Tradesman or Trusted Advisor?
Many developers who supply integrated information systems specially configured to suit a specific client are not really selling software, they are selling their expertise in understand how data can be best turned into information, in a wide variety of contexts and the software they supply is merely a means of delivering that expertise.
Thus the developer should in reality act as a professional advisor not a tradesman hawking their wares.
The tradition approach to software sales that I have seen amongst single market competitors is one of "promise everything they ask for" and then cross your fingers that the engineers will deliver.
As a professional advisor the key is to be completely honest about what can and what can't be done.
In my experience professional clients understand appreciate and respect that approach.
As a professional your top priority is of course, provided your client pays their bills, your client, not yourself. This can be hard work, sometimes very hard work, but the reward is a long term b2b relationship.
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