You owe it to your customers as a business owner or service provider to set their expectations. Doing so will help everyone start out on the same page and also helps develop trust. This article talks about how essential setting expectations are and what you need to know to do it properly.
Why it’s Important to set Expectations
Setting clients’ expectations is very important so they are satisfied with the way you do work and do not seek to work with other businesses instead. They need to know what to expect and when. Once you are working together, if expectations are set appropriately it will also help you both feel more open and trusting of one another, which means the business between you is more likely to continue. Less irritation and disappointment will occur, leaving the client with little room for confusion as the project unfolds and therefore with less likelihood of making unreasonable requests or even worse, firing you.
Ok, now that you know why it’s important, let’s discuss how to go about actually doing it.
Find a Client and Gathering Information
First, of course, you need to find a client. Once you do, talk to the client by phone or in person about the project and what they want. During this conversation, you should try to learn more about the client’s wants and needs. Take notes and write a summary of the meeting to look over later.
Crafting the Proposal
Setting good expectations takes some thought on your part. Begin this planning by starting with the most important parts of the project or service. This is a list of what will be provided, when it will be provided, and any special needs that must be accommodated. Second, think about the schedule and deadlines, as well as any problems that might come up. Third, make a plan for how you will talk to the client, including how often you will talk to them and how they may reach you. Lastly, think about money and figure out how everything will be paid for by you and what the cost to the client will be. Write all of this in a proposal.
Discussing the Proposal with the Client
Send the proposal to the client and ask them to review it by a certain date. On the deadline date, or shortly thereafter, check in with them to see if they have read the proposal and if all of their questions have been answered.
Lastly, ensure the client understands how to stay in communication throughout the project as questions arise or as needs warrant. Make sure the client doesn’t overwhelm you by setting boundaries appropriately.
If all are in agreement with everything so far, it is at this point, you may request to begin the project.
Setting Expectations During the Project
As the actual project work unfolds, it is important to keep an eye on how expectations are being met throughout the project. This means keeping an eye on how things are going and fixing problems as they come up. Take the lead in communicating with the client and let them know if there are any delays or changes to the plan. If a client makes a request or has an expectation that you can’t meet, be honest about it. If you can, provide answers or other possibilities, but be clear about what is and isn’t viable.
Conclusion and Next Steps
To build trust with customers and give them good service, you need to set expectations right away. If you and your client get along well from the beginning and you both know the project’s goals, timetable, communication strategies, and cost, success for both you and the client will be much more likely. Throughout the process, it’s crucial to keep the client’s expectations under control and to tell them the truth about what to expect. Your customers will appreciate the effort, and you’ll set yourself up for future success.
If you’ve never done it before, it can be hard to do this correctly at first. That’s why I give lessons on the subject! Click here to sign up for a FREE 30-minute session in which I’ll listen to the problems you’re having communicating with customers, defining expectations, or managing your time. During this meeting, we can decide if we want to work on these problems together more. I can’t wait to meet you and find out more about your business.