Starting your client relationships off on the right foot
If there’s one thing I learned from square dancing lessons (aside from the importance of the right belt buckle), it’s that you always want to make sure you start things on the right foot. You and your clients deserve to have a good working relationship, and it all hinges on creating and maintaining the right expectations. Let’s see how it works.
Expecting the Expected: Level-setting with Clients
So, you finally landed that client you’ve been carefully wooing for what seems like ages. But now the real work begins as you kick off your new arrangement in contracted bliss. How do you stay in the honeymoon phase as long as possible? We’ve gathered a few tips to keep you happy together and in it for the long haul.
Be Open from the Beginning
The client should clearly understand exactly what you are going to do for them… and what you can’t or won’t do. You want to explain your services up front and have a specific plan in terms of deliverables, timelines, cost estimates, and also how you will hold one another accountable for your responsibilities.
Get It in Writing
We rarely interpret statements in exactly the same way as other people, and it can often cause problems (“But you SAID not to get you anything for Valentine’s Day!”). Writing it all down won’t completely eliminate misunderstandings, but it should help a lot. We live in a world where handshake deals put everyone at risk.
Measure Twice, Then Measure Again
Keeping expectations consistent means a lot of checking in with one another, especially in the early days. The more touchpoints you have, the smaller the chance you’ll have to backtrack and redo a bunch of work or scramble to meet a last-minute deadline. Building trust takes time, and it should. Don’t be afraid to take it slow.
Establish Boundaries
Part of coordinating your expectations includes who has what responsibilities in the relationship. Your project and account managers should be the direct contact points with your company, not individual contributors (depending on how your shop is set up, of course). Establish protocols for how they should reach out to you with needs, and how things like billing will be handled.
Plan for Contingencies
As a seasoned leader, you know things can and will go wrong, and you’ve probably had to apologize even when something wasn’t your fault. You’ve probably seen the most common problems that tend to crop up, as well as the best way to handle things like missed deadlines or deliverables that don’t measure up. If you discuss in advance how those issues will be handled, it helps take the emotion out of the heat of the moment so you can move past it. It also shows how well-prepared you are.
Know When to Bail
You probably already know, but there are definitely some red flags you should watch out for in a new client. Much like the stereotypical “But I can change them!” attitude of the consistently disappointed partner, there are warning signs early on that a client relationship may be more trouble than it's worth. If they are asking for unattainable goals or offering unreasonable compensation, chances are your expectations won’t be converging over time.
It’s all too easy to drift apart in a business/client relationship, but while some are destined to be short-lived, setting clear expectations up front -- and regularly reinforcing them -- can keep the magic alive for a long time.