![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/itmcapstonesurvivalguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2018\/04\/image13-300x214.png\")
\r\n\r\n \r\nHmm, we haven\u2019t been in touch. How do I initiate a contact?<\/h6>\r\nSend them a thoughtfully handwritten note of gratitude, explaining what you most appreciated about working with them, how they helped you in a specific way, or what you gained from being part of that company. A birthday or greeting card for a silly holiday<\/a> will work just the same. Or a simple email following up on something personal that you remember, such as, \u201cWhere is your son headed off to now that he\u2019s graduated?\u201d or \u201cHow was that xyz concert you attended? I heard there was a really good turnout.\u201d\r\n\r\nNo matter what you send, ensure that you also include a statement explaining that they\u2019ve been on your mind and \u00a0you\u2019re hoping to work with them in a different capacity. Don\u2019t forget to include a call to action like, \u201cPerhaps we can have lunch next week to chat about a new project I\u2019m gearing up for. Send me an email to let me know if you\u2019ll be free.\u201d\r\n\r\nNow that your arts and crafts are done and the letters have been sent out, do not sit and wait. It\u2019s time to keep your strategy game strong, and look out for other opportunities.\r\n\r\n \r\nConnect with friends, family, current and former coworkers to ask for a referral.<\/h6>\r\nGently encourage them to put in a good word for you at their company or within their networks. Be sensitive though, not everyone feels comfortable putting in a referral, so let the person you\u2019re asking know why\/how you\u2019ll benefit and reassure them that if they don\u2019t feel comfortable doing it, it\u2019s okay too.\r\n\r\nIf you have a particular company in mind and have a connection there, start by making a specific request, \u201cI have an exciting new project that I\u2019m hoping to collaborate with YYY company on. [Insert brief project description]. Do you have any contacts there that you think would be interested in exploring this with me?\u201d. If you don\u2019t get much traction, don\u2019t be afraid to ask the person if they know of anyone\/any other company that would be suitable to connect with. If you end up getting referred, it\u2019s super important to send a formal, personal note of thanks right away. That person, after all, has taken the time and effort to make a connection for you and has put their reputation on the line.\r\n\r\nFinding a client is a time-consuming process. And sometimes the clients you have contacted have a few concerns, but are reluctant to tell you for various reasons. Their responses to your request are often vague and uncertain, which give you a glimmer of what you think is hope. Don\u2019t be tricked. You need to actively look for a client from as many possible sources as possible. Additional sources you could try are:\r\n\r\n \t- Connect with alumni<\/li>\r\n \t
- Cold calling. Yes, this one is challenging, but still worth a try.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Take up any opportunity to meet people. Attend networking events, workshops, corporate functions, etc.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Use social media to put out feelers in your networks<\/li>\r\n \t
- Research the client profiles supplied by the department. Contact them at trsitm@ryerson.ca<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
- When in meetings with any professionals, strike up casual conversations with those at the table to find out more about what they do<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\nPRO TIP: The course coordinator is partnering with the TRSM Career Hub to solicit clients. \u00a0The project information will be posted on the Google Group Forum. So keep checking the updates on the forum.<\/span><\/div>\r\n \r\n
What to Look For<\/h1>\r\nAs far as client requirements go, the client you choose will need to meet the below criteria. You can and should use these as a first stop to help you sort out the weeds from the actual prospects.\r\n\r\n \t- Has its headquarters located in Canada<\/li>\r\n \t
- Has an active interest in the project<\/li>\r\n \t
- Has capacity and willingness to work with your team actively for 8 months<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is willing to share confidential information with you<\/li>\r\n \t
- Can and will give you access to the right people<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is open to using information technology to improve its operations<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nOnce you\u2019ve found companies to connect with, there are many things to consider when engaging in initial discussions with them. Your project has to be process oriented, with goal(s) that involve multiple tasks and stakeholders. The end result of your team\u2019s work will involve a complete IT solution (ex- enhancement of existing features, data migration, website design\/enhancement, improving the speed of a network, etc.). See here<\/a> for examples of 2 past projects. Also, be sure to check the Capstone website<\/a> periodically to see a list of clients previous teams have studied.\r\n\r\nThe process itself doesn\u2019t need to be IT related (can be a business process), there just needs to be the opportunity to equip your client with the right tools\/technology that\u2019ll help them continuously and systematically perform better.\r\n\r\nAs well, you\u2019ll need to carefully gauge the following when interacting with potential leads:\r\n
\r\n \t- Type of project<\/li>\r\n \t
- Scope of the project<\/li>\r\n \t
- Level of support being offered\r\n
\r\n \t- Ex- sponsor, response times, contact person, and frequency of communication<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
- Client size<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nFor those of you thinking that it\u2019ll be easy peasy running with a Mom and Pop shop or a better opportunity flying with a large corporation, you should at least know what you might be up against in both cases (see below) . One isn\u2019t necessarily better than the other, it just simply boils down to team preference and the project opportunity offered.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Connect with alumni<\/li>\r\n \t
- Cold calling. Yes, this one is challenging, but still worth a try.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Take up any opportunity to meet people. Attend networking events, workshops, corporate functions, etc.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Use social media to put out feelers in your networks<\/li>\r\n \t
- Research the client profiles supplied by the department. Contact them at trsitm@ryerson.ca<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
- When in meetings with any professionals, strike up casual conversations with those at the table to find out more about what they do<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n
PRO TIP: The course coordinator is partnering with the TRSM Career Hub to solicit clients. \u00a0The project information will be posted on the Google Group Forum. So keep checking the updates on the forum.<\/span><\/div>\r\n \r\nWhat to Look For<\/h1>\r\nAs far as client requirements go, the client you choose will need to meet the below criteria. You can and should use these as a first stop to help you sort out the weeds from the actual prospects.\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Has its headquarters located in Canada<\/li>\r\n \t
- Has an active interest in the project<\/li>\r\n \t
- Has capacity and willingness to work with your team actively for 8 months<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is willing to share confidential information with you<\/li>\r\n \t
- Can and will give you access to the right people<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is open to using information technology to improve its operations<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nOnce you\u2019ve found companies to connect with, there are many things to consider when engaging in initial discussions with them. Your project has to be process oriented, with goal(s) that involve multiple tasks and stakeholders. The end result of your team\u2019s work will involve a complete IT solution (ex- enhancement of existing features, data migration, website design\/enhancement, improving the speed of a network, etc.). See here<\/a> for examples of 2 past projects. Also, be sure to check the Capstone website<\/a> periodically to see a list of clients previous teams have studied.\r\n\r\nThe process itself doesn\u2019t need to be IT related (can be a business process), there just needs to be the opportunity to equip your client with the right tools\/technology that\u2019ll help them continuously and systematically perform better.\r\n\r\nAs well, you\u2019ll need to carefully gauge the following when interacting with potential leads:\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Type of project<\/li>\r\n \t
- Scope of the project<\/li>\r\n \t
- Level of support being offered\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Ex- sponsor, response times, contact person, and frequency of communication<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
- Client size<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nFor those of you thinking that it\u2019ll be easy peasy running with a Mom and Pop shop or a better opportunity flying with a large corporation, you should at least know what you might be up against in both cases (see below) . One isn\u2019t necessarily better than the other, it just simply boils down to team preference and the project opportunity offered.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
- When in meetings with any professionals, strike up casual conversations with those at the table to find out more about what they do<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/itmcapstonesurvivalguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2018\/04\/image19-1-300x300.png\")
\r\n\r\nOf course, before you\u2019re off showing people the sparkliest side of you, you\u2019ll need to have a good handle on what the project is all about. There\u2019s no sense trying to schmooze with a client if you\u2019re even unsure of the details and goals. Why not take your knowledge for a spin?\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"2\"]\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nFeeling ready to pitch this bad boy to potential clients? Great! You can deliver your pitch in one of two ways. Which option is suitable for you?\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"3\"]\r\n\r\nRegardless of which option you pursue, your team will need to do significant prep to learn about the company, the people who will be receiving your pitch (do a little LinkedIn stalking), the potential business problems the client may have, and how your Capstone project can respond to that problem. Knowing these details will put your time in a prime position to win that \u2018business\u2019.\r\n\r\nSpeaking of winning the business, you\u2019d be remiss to step away from a pitch without actually asking for the business. You could have just delivered a glorious pitch and without a call to action, there\u2019s no encouragement for \u2026 well \u2026 action. You\u2019ll need to actually say the words, \u201cWe would like to work with you on this project.\u201d\r\n\r\nYou may be ready to sell this project like nobody\u2019s business, but are still fretting over the proposal itself. Unsure of where to start or what it should look like? In The Best of Smashing Magazine, professional Web Designer and author, Cameron Chapman, explains, \u201cExactly how you format your proposal is up to you, but there are certain parts that virtually every proposal should include. Feel free to get creative in the design of the proposal, but remember that the primary purpose is to convey information. Anything that interferes with the readability of the document should be cut.\u201d[footnote]Smashing, M. (2012). Pitching Like a Pro. In Successful Freelancing for Web Designers (p. 48). Smashing Magazine.[\/footnote] For additional resources on pitching and proposals, check out ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/itmcapstonesurvivalguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2018\/04\/image20-e1525454253859.png\")
\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\nItems that scored a 4 or 5 are noteworthy things that deserve attention. If anything was rated a 2 or below, it\u2019s an indication that the project will be quite unfavourable in that area. While the minimum acceptable<\/strong> rating should be 80% of the maximum possible score, it\u2019ll be important to check that the pros of pursuing the project outweigh the cons. Using the concepts discussed in ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/itmcapstonesurvivalguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2018\/04\/image27-300x171.png\")
\r\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/itmcapstonesurvivalguide\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2018\/04\/image21-240x300.png\")
","rendered":"