That is typically the route I follow. I tell them my objection. I tell them my real world example/analogy describing why my advice should be followed. Then, I reiterate my objection.

The customer basically says “That sounds great, but we are different and unique, and that won’t work in our organization. We need to replicate the way things currently work just with automation.”

At that point, my hands are pretty much washed of the problem, until it surfaces later during implementation (or worse yet, after implementation).

Basically, how do we convince the customer that we are the expert they hired us to be? That is very difficult to do in a short amount of time.

I’d recommend something like the following:

1) Say you’ll do what they want, but don’t recommend it.

2) Use the power of analogy and concrete examples:

2a) Apply an analogy. “Ever get started on a home improvement project with an idea of how you want to do it? Then you get underway and discover that your plan needs to change, sometimes in a big way? A few months ago, I [some project], but after I [passed the point of no return], I realized [new approach needed]. I got in touch with [plumber, carpenter, etc.] and he told me what I needed to do. Why? He’d done hundreds of ‘em. The guy was a wizard. I’m not sayin’ I’m a wizard, but I’ve tackled these sort of things quite a few times before.”

2b) Talk about previous deployments that are remarkably similar. Use client company names and even internal employee first names. Make it real, not abstract. Note cost overruns due to increased billed hours.

3) Softly reiterate your willingness to do it (don’t want to leave an adversarial taste in their mouths), but re-state your objection.

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